Real Madrid is preparing for the next nine league fixtures as if each one were a genuine cup final. 'Los Blancos' slipped off the top of the table on Sunday following a home defeat against Barcelona, which means that even if they win every one of their remaining games they might still not win the title.

Another worrying factor is that they haven't fared too well against the big teams this year. This has resulted in them dropping a considerable number of points against direct rivals, which could end up being decisive in the title fight. From the four league games against Barcelona and Atlético this season, Madrid have only managed to pick up one from a possible 12 points.

Matchday 7 (watch video) saw Carlo Ancelotti's side suffer a home defeat against the 'Rojiblancos' (1-0), with Spain international Diego Costa scoring the game's only goal on the 11th minute. That was the first time Atlético had won a Madrid derby in the league since the 1999/2000 season, the year they were relegated.

Three games later, and 'Los Blancos' returned empty handed from the Camp Nou as the home side celebrated a 2-1 victory.

VIDEO. Matchday 10 – Barcelona 2-1 Real Madrid



And things only improved marginally in the second half of the season, with a draw against Atlético (2-2) at the Calderón. Carlo's boys took the lead through Karim Benzema, but Simeone's side came roaring back with goals from Koke and Gabi. It was left up to Cristiano Ronaldo to salvage a point from the game with a strike on 82 minutes.

VIDEO. Matchday 26 Atlético de Madrid 2-2 Real Madrid

The team failed to make any progress on Sunday, once again falling at the hands of Tata Martino (4-3). Despite two goals from Benzema and a spot kick from CR7, Madrid still failed to get anything from the game. A hat-trick from Messi, together with a stunning opener from Iniesta, ended Real's stint at the top of the table. To cut a long story short, Madrid has only claimed 1 of a possible 12 points in these big games.



Madrid has also slipped up when playing away to sides fighting for a spot in Europe. Matchday 4 saw them draw away to Villarreal (2-2) and they also dropped two points at the San Mamés, registering a 1-1 draw with Athletic Bilbao.

Real Madrid's next game could be crucial, since they need to visit the Sánchez Pijuán, another tricky fixture. 'Los Blancos' need to pick up an away victory to stay in the hunt for the league. Then they will have another tricky tie a couple of weeks later, when they travel to San Sebastián to face Real Sociedad.