Barcelona extended its advantage over Real Madrid to seven points on Wednesday, making Los Blancos' trip to Malaga potentially pivotal.
Real Madrid cannot afford a slip up in its trip to La Rosaleda to face Malaga on Sunday, with the distance to La Liga leader Barcelona in danger of becoming insurmountable.
Barca extended its lead at the summit to six points with a 3-1 win at Sporting Gijon on Wednesday, a game delayed due to the club's participation in the Club World Cup in December.
Madrid is seven points adrift of the defending champion in third position, but the gap could reach double figures with the Catalan giant taking on Las Palmas on Saturday.