MADRID — With Barcelona appearing certain to cruise to a La Liga trophy, familiar internal woes have resurfaced and threaten to derail the Catalan giant's surge toward the title.

Spanish leader Barcelona holds a 10-point advantage over Madrid going into Saturday's crosstown derby against last-place Espanyol, but recent comments by striker Samuel Eto'o have irked some and evoked memories of last season, when coach Frank Rijkaard's failure to rein in the dressing room left the Catalan club without a trophy for a second consecutive season.

Rookie coach Pep Guardiola's strict discipline has Barcelona on course for the treble, but the volatile Eto'o — who leads the league with 23 goals — is stirring things up at the Camp Nou after again being linked with Italian club AC Milan.

"My future is decided, but I won't say anything," Eto'o told a French Web site earlier this week.

The Cameroon striker is reportedly balking at any extension talks until the end of the season with his contract up in 2010.

And Barcelona will be without Spanish international Andres Iniesta for two weeks after the midfielder injured his left leg during training on Wednesday. The club expects Iniesta to miss at least four games, including the first leg of its Champions League knockout match at French champion Lyon.

That's all good news for Madrid, which goes for its ninth straight win against Real Betis on Saturday.

"Without a doubt they're (Barcelona) playing brilliant football, but we're not that far off and we're talking about the best Barcelona in history," Madrid coach Juande Ramos said on Thursday.

Ramos is expected to rest Netherlands pair Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder ahead of the first leg of a Champions League knockout match against Liverpool on Wednesday. Dutch striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar, coming off his first Madrid goal, is likely to partner the club's all-time leading striker, Raul Gonzalez, at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The club is hoping that its good league form will carry over into the match against Liverpool. The Spanish champion hasn't made it past the first knockout phase of the Champions League in five years.

"If someone asked me what is easier to win, I'd say the Champions League," Ramos said. "It's less games and it only depends on us."

The fight for the remaining two Champions League places heats up when Atletico Madrid plays Sevilla and cash-strapped Valencia is at Deportivo La Coruna.

Sevilla is third with 41 points, Valencia and Villarreal have 38, Atletico and Malaga 36 and Deportivo 35.

For Atletico, it could be a decisive stretch with upcoming games against Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia and Villarreal.

"To sit among the top-four would be fantastic. That's our objective," coach Abel Resino said. "I'm an optimist and I'm sure we'll definitely achieve it."

Sevilla lost striker Ernesto Chevanton for the rest of the season on Thursday after the club announced that the Uruguay striker was to undergo surgery on his left knee next week.

Valencia hasn't paid any player wages for February and seems unlikely to do so any time soon.

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"What matters to the player is whether it will arrive or not and at this moment we can't say," club official Fernando Gomez said.

Gomez said that player would likely be sold in the offseason should the situation continue as it is. Spanish international David Villa, who trails only Eto'o with 18 goals, has been linked with Barcelona and Real Madrid.

In Sunday's other 24th round of games, it's: Valladolid vs. Malaga; Recreativo Huelva vs. Almeria; Getafe vs. Athletic Bilbao; Mallorca vs. Racing Santander; and Osasuna vs. Numancia.

Villarreal plays Sporting Gijon on Saturday.

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