Madrid, April 22 : La Liga closes its midweek round of matches on Thursday with three games that are vital for the struggle to avoid relegation. Bottom side Oviedo hosts third-placed Villarreal, whose coach Marcelino Garca Toral is yet to extend his contract despite an excellent season in La Liga.

Oviedo's survival hopes remain intact after consecutive wins against Sevilla and Celta Vigo, but the club is still six points from safety with just seven games to play, and is reaching the point where any slip-up could be fatal.

Fede Vinas will lead the Oviedo attack, but the home side needs to be wary of Villarreal's threat on the break, reports Xinhua.

Sevilla won their last game at home to a much-changed Atletico Madrid, but goes into the clash with second-from-bottom Levante just five points ahead of their rival with a five-point cushion above the relegation zone.

Levante are another team making a late charge to avoid the drop, with three wins and two draws from their last six matches, thanks partly to young striker Carlos Espi, who has become a hero with seven goals in that six-game run to keep Levante afloat.

Rayo Vallecano also need points as they go into their match at home to Espanyol, just three points ahead of the 18th-placed Elche, who play on Wednesday night, and two more than Deportivo Alaves in 17th.

Rayo's efforts in the Conference League have drained their players, but Inigo Perez's side will be optimistic against a rival that has not won in 2026 and whose coach, Manolo Gonzalez, is coming in for increasing criticism.

In Tuesday's games, Real Madrid won 2-1 at home to Alaves, while Real Betis beat Girona 3-2, Athletic Club defeated Osasuna 1-0, and Mallorca and Valencia drew 1-1.

Meanwhile, Barcelona return to Camp Nou aiming to take another step toward this season's La Liga title against a Celta Vigo side seeking to halt a recent slide in form.

This will be Barcelona's first game since their Champions League quarterfinal defeat to Atletico Madrid, after their nine-point lead at the top of the table was cut to six as Real Madrid beat Alaves at home on Tuesday night.

Barcelona have been flawless in La Liga since returning to Camp Nou at the end of 2025, winning all 11 of its league games at the stadium and scoring 35 goals. But they face one of the league's strongest away sides, with Celta having suffered only two defeats on the road.

However, Claudio Giraldez's side has endured a recent dip in form, with a painful Europa League exit to Freiburg and only one win from its last five league matches.

Raphinha remain sidelined with a hamstring injury, while Marc Bernal's twisted ankle appears to be taking longer to heal than expected. Players such as Pedri and Lamine Yamal, however, will have benefited from not having a weekend game.

/IANS