Madrid  - Football fans across Spain are already looking forward to a "Super Saturday", with all of the top clubs in early action prior to next week's Champions League clashes.

Saturday's biggest game is the Catalan derby between record-breaking Barclelona and bottom team Espanyol.

Rarely before have the two Catalan teams been separated by so many points: Barca have 60, Espanyol just 18.

"On paper and in theory it looks like an easy game... but I'm sure that it won't be," Barca playmaker Xavi said.

Barca needed a dubious last-minute penalty to beat Espanyol 2-1 away in September.

Xavi added that Barca's 10-point lead over Real Madrid is "considerable", but observed that "they probably think that they can catch up with us."

Xavi will have to get by without Andres Iniesta, his partner-in-crime for both Barca and Spain, who will be out for at least two months after pulling a muscle in his left thigh in training on Tuesday.

The good news, though, is that captain Carles Puyol is fit to return in defence.

At the same time as the Catalan derby, Real will be at home to unpredictable Betis, who battled out a 2-2 draw against Barca last Saturday.

Dutchmen Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder are back to fitness, compatriot Rafael Van der Vaart is back after suspension.

Another Dutchmen keen to do well for Real is Klaas Jan Huntelaar, who scored his first goal in white against Sporting Gijon last Sunday. Huntelaar has not been registered for the knockout stages of the Champions League, which has made him even more determined to shine in La Liga.

Royston Drenthe, another of Real's Dutchmen, still seems nervous about playing in the Estadio Bernabeu again, after being jeered a month ago in the 1-0 defeat of Deportivo Coruna.

On Monday, Real legend Alfredo Di Stefano, now the club's "president of honour", controversially advised Drenthe to "cut his hair and take off his earrings."

Also on Saturday, third-placed Sevilla are at home to sixth-placed Atletico Madrid, whilst Villarreal - now in fifth place - take on Gijon.

The big game on Sunday sees UEFA Cup sides Deportivo and Valencia squaring off in Riazor, and lively Malaga away to Valladolid.

Sunday's other games all have a relegation significance and are as follows: Recreativo Huelva-Almeria, Getafe-Athletic Bilbao, Mallorca-Racing Santander and Osasuna-Numancia. (dpa)