Pellegrini’s side kept pace with Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona after a comfortable victory on Saturday night over Espanyol. The 3-0 win maintained Real’s place in the table five points behind holders Barcelona, who beat Getafe.

Preserving their perfect home record, the question looming is not whether or not Madrid have the quality to surpass Barcelona but will Barcelona, who have yet to lose in the league, give the capital club the opportunity to gain ground on the Catalans.

The second weekend in April meeting between the two clubs may very well decide the fate of the league. There is a lot of football to be played but if Pellegrini's Madrid can stay on the heels of Barcelona and take three points in the second leg of El Clasico then the league will certainly be up for grabs. Conversely, if Barcelona can separate themselves by a few points or take three at the Santiago Bernabeu then the league may well be decided April 11th.

Madrid's second half schedule is significantly easier than the Catalans, playing the majority of the 'tougher clubs' at home but Barcelona have proven they can win even when not at their best or short handed, as was demonstrated Saturday night. There are still a lot of questions to be answered this season, but if Madrid want to bring the cup back to the capital they cannot afford to fall too far behind the leaders.

Leading scorer Gonazlo Higuain made his return from injury as a substitute for Karim Benzema, adding an exclamation point to Madrid's victory in the final minutes with a superb finish. Controlling a long ball marvelously, the Argentine sidestepped around Carlos Kameni to easily slide home Madrid's third. The French international, however, followed up his double at La Coruna with the sort of lackluster performance that has become all too consistent at the Bernabeu this season.

Sergio Ramos put the home side on top early, a lead Los Blancos were never in danger of losing, while Raul was excellent up front, threatening the Espanyol net on numerous occasions. Carlos Kameni was superb in goal for the Barcelona club, keeping the score respectable as Real constantly peppered his net with shots. The Cameroon international could only do so much as Kaka doubled the host's lead after a Raul header was spectacular parried to the Brazilians foot, but it was Kameni who kept the deficit reasonable throughout the match.

Real Madrid continue their signs of improvement, putting together consecutive impressive victories in the absence of Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo. The team's form is improving week by week as they increasingly dominate possession, controlling the pace of the game from start to finish. With a weekend trip to Xerez and the beginning of the Champion League knockout stage next Tuesday, the next few weeks have the potential to be very telling for the success of Madrid's 2009-2010 campaign; nonetheless, the league's destiny is in Barcelona's hands, for now, a very disconcerting fact for any Madrid supporter.