Europe's top teams are busier than ever with decisive action on all fronts at the moment. With hardly time to draw breath after midweek UEFA Cup and UEFA Champions League duty, the big boys are chasing domestic league points this weekend, before pivotal European return legs during the coming week. The clubs whose European prospects have turned bleak will be looking for confidence-boosting results in their respective championship battles.

La Liga: Barcelona in peak form
Leaders Barcelona have bounced back emphatically from a brief dip in form which saw consecutive defeats in early March, setting off on a six-game winning streak in La Liga and Europe with 20 goals scored and just two conceded. After a 4-0 victory over Bayern Munich on Wednesday, Barça now take on third-from-bottom Recreativo Huelva with high expectations of collecting another three points. Closest rivals Real Madrid, six points behind the leaders, entertain ninth-placed Valladolid knowing they cannot afford any slip-ups.

In the battle for places in Europe next season, Malaga, in eighth, travel to Villarreal, four spots above them in the standings. Third-placed Sevilla and Valencia in fifth will be keen to take maximum points against Getafe and Sporting Gijon. At the wrong end of the table, bottom club Espanyol travel to Numancia, one spot above them, in an authentic relegation six-pointer.

The question: Can Real Madrid make inroads into the lead held by frontrunners Barcelona?
The big game: Real Madrid-Real Valladolid, Sunday 12 April, 17.00, Estadio Bernabeu
The quote: "I believe we're capable of winning all our games between now and the end of the season. We just have to take each game as it comes, and wait for Barcelona to drop points somewhere along the line," Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Real Madrid striker

Premier League: Big Four back on domestic duty
The 'big four' of Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal were all involved in UEFA Champions League action in midweek, with varying degrees of success.

At first glance, the foursome all face manageable fixtures this weekend. Champions United travel to 17th-placed Sunderland, with chief pursuers Liverpool and Chelsea at home to bottom-half sides Blackburn Rovers and Bolton Wanderers respectively. Arsenal are the only one of the four paired with a side from the top half of the table, as the Gunners are away to eighth-placed Wigan Athletic. In the battle to avoid the drop, bottom two West Bromwich Albion and Middlesbrough face fellow relegation candidates Portsmouth and Hull City.

The question: Can the four top teams register routine victories against lesser opposition, further emphasising the gap between themselves and the rest?
The big game: Liverpool-Blackburn Rovers, Saturday 11 April, 13.45, Anfield
The quote: "If you spot that your opponents can be hurt, you'd be stupid not to go for it. My team can smell that and take advantage. That's the kind of spirit this team has," Guus Hiddink, Chelsea manager

Bundesliga: Wolfsburg aim to retain top spot
Wolfsburg moved to the top of the standings for the first time this term in spectacular style last week with a 5-1 home win over champions Bayern Munich. The Wolves now travel to struggling Borussia Monchengladbach, looking for a ninth win on the bounce to preserve their lead in the table.

Hamburg, level on points but with a significantly inferior goal difference to Wolfsburg, face the toughest task of all the top teams on paper with the trip to fifth-placed Stuttgart. Fourth-placed Bayern, still reeling from their 4-0 Champions League loss in Barcelona, take on mid-table Eintracht Frankfurt in Munich. Hertha Berlin, who slipped from top spot to third last week, visit 13th-placed Hannover.

The question: Can a Bayern side wounded by heavy defeats to Wolfsburg and Barcelona return to winning ways on Saturday?
The big game: Stuttgart-Hamburg, Sunday 12 April, 17.00, Mercedes-Benz Arena
The quote: "Maybe Barcelona will only field eight men in Munich – that way we might have a chance." Mark van Bommel, Bayern midfielder, on his side's chances in the return following the 4-0 defeat in Barcelona.

Serie A: Rome derby and showdown in Genoa
Italian football followers will be looking with particular interest towards Rome and Genoa this weekend. Lazio and Roma contest local bragging rights on the hallowed Olympic stadium turf in the Eternal City. At 23 and 31 points adrift of the lead, neither side is challenging for the title this term, but the derby fixtures in front of more than 80,000 passionate fans are always high points of the season in the capital.

An arguably even bigger game involves fourth-placed Genoa meeting runners-up Juventus. The home team are desperate to claim third spot and the direct Champions League qualifying place which goes with it, but Juve cannot afford anything less than a win as they seek to cut the daunting nine-point gap to leaders Inter. The Nerrazurri entertain eighth-placed Palermo, while city rivals AC Milan travel to Chievo.

The question: Can Juventus keep their slim title hopes alive in the crunch game with Genoa?
The big game: Genoa-Juventus, Saturday 11 April, 20.30, Stadio Luigi Ferraris
The quote: "I'll always pause for thought if you tell me Lazio are a club in crisis, because teams always pull closer together in situations like that and play above themselves, like they did in the first meeting this season." Daniele de Rossi, Roma midfielder

Ligue 1: Lyon back on course
The continent-wide phenomenon which saw league leaders in many countries hit choppy waters in early March appears to have faded, as the big guns steadily recover form. French pacesetters Lyon are no exception, chalking up back-to-back victories to end a run of three matches without a win and reassert their grip on top spot. The serial champions will now hope to beat Monaco and potentially extend their advantage.

However, second-placed Marseille face Grenoble, while Bordeaux in third are away to Auxerre. Both title chasers will hope for maximum points off teams with little left to play for this term. Lille in fourth are level on points with Paris Saint-Germain, and entertain the men from the capital this weekend. The winners could theoretically climb as high as second by Sunday night. Down in the drop zone, bottom club Le Havre are nine points adrift of safety, and must beat Caen, the club directly ahead of them, to stand any realistic chance of staving off relegation.

The question: Can Lyon put distance between themselves and their pursuers, or will the likes of Bordeaux and Marseille remain hot on their heels?
The big game: Lille-Paris St. Germain, Sunday 12 April, 17.00, Stadium Lille Métropole
The quote: "It's going to be a frantic sprint to the finish line, and we need to come to terms with the fact we're about to enter a sort of championship within a championship, in which every team starts with no points," Hugo Lloris, Lyon keeper

Elsewhere
The weekend highlight in the Turkish Super Lig will unfold with fourth-placed Galatasaray entertaining fierce city rivals from across the Bosporus Fenerbahce, in third. Leaders Sivasspor meet promoted Antalyaspor.

The programme in the Czech Republic also features a momentous derby. Leaders Slavia Prague meet second-placed Sparta. With the home team fully 11 points clear, a Slavia victory would more or less wrap up the title.

Yet another derby takes place in the Bulgarian Liga, where the meeting between Levski Sofia and Lokomotiv Sofia is also an encounter between the sides in second and fourth. A win could even see Levski topple leaders CSKA Sofia from top spot.