To the naked eye, this weekend's soccer slate in Spain may lack the drama and storylines we have seen in past weeks. La Liga's top three teams face teams of seemingly lesser quality. League leaders Barcelona face bottom dwellers Levante, Real Madrid travel south to face a Granada side they have absolutely dominated in recent years and Atlético Madrid face Eibar at home. Although of the three, second-place Atlético will surely face a stiff test from an Eibar team that has surprised many behind a staunch defense. 

In recent weeks Diego Simeone's team surely have suffered a shot to their confidence, losing to Barcelona with the league lead on the line, failing to advance to the semifinals of the Copa del Rey competition, and drawing twice at home in their two league games prior to the Barcelona clash. They have had a lack of a goalscoring presence up top this season, with Fernando Torres and Jackson Martinez failing to replace the goals vacated from the departure of Mario Mandzukic.

Jackson Martinez figured to be the next in a long line of Atlético strikers that came in, scored with a frequency among the best in Europe and then be sold at a profit just when they were about to fall off their peak. They were able to secure a profit for the Colombian, selling him to Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao for 42 million. They still have Frenchman Antoine Griezmann, but their depth behind him is thin. They still have great talent at midfield, with Koke and Belgian Yannick Carrasco quickly becoming a fan favorite. 

Real Madrid face a test this week not so much in terms of a talented opponent, but rather a mental test. Manager Zinedine Zidane said before this weekend's match that los blancos could not afford to drop anymore points in league play. It is games like this week's against Granada that the capital club have been known to show mental lapses against lesser opponents when they may be looking ahead to their Champions League clash. Nonetheless, with Zidane holding the respect of all players in the palm of his hand, expect him to hold them accountable and get a response that they would not have given Rafa Benitez. I expect Ronaldo to at least notch a hat-trick, as in years past he has scored as many as five against Granada.

Bracelona face lowly Levante, really Levante stand no chance as they are but a shell of the club that got off to a hot start a couple seasons ago. Like Granada they are looking to stave off relegation, but they will get no sympathy from Barcelona, who are playing at a level as high as any the past eight years.

Image via: https://www.flickr.com/photos/39844802@N08/13872188295/in/photolist-n8QAhg-9gaF62-btXy55-kDS3Rn-bGRYwM-nEKW7N-btXgDf-6jTaWQ-8vpEhQ-2ZZEub-6yKjt-6yQx2-7y7biM-6jNYYZ-6jNZjT-8vpAxA-bGSbkZ-btXBUb-8LvHdu-8vpAH9-bGRp4i-btWvtU-71ftqN-8LsFur-nG9wcf-3URku-7p8DGS-nh6C1c-8vmzUa-7uKBaz-nsiJHg-aTqNJ4-7UzFSq-8vmxna-8LsGsF-biAFC8-ab8R3-nwsnP2-9gdSkA-9DdqzU-yhhy7A-7UDHoa-rkYr5Z-2nkBh-9gaJ7B-rFkUG3-ehki5e-8Xszq5-8LsxWB-59R2kx - See more at: http://seattlesportsinsider.com/blogs/soccer/barcelona-move-into-first-r...