Basque club Sociedad travel to play Espanyol on Sunday looking to strengthen their grip on fourth place with the possibility of earning Champions League football for next season an unexpected new objective.
In French coach Philippe Montanier's second season at the helm, Sociedad have been the surprise-package of the league on the back of an 18-game run with only one defeat - a thrilling 4-3 reverse at Real Madrid in January.
"We are in a historical moment for the club," Sociedad defender Alberto de la Bella told a news conference earlier this week.
"It's a great opportunity. There are 10 games left to achieve something which we didn't have in mind at the start of the campaign. Everyone is very excited at the prospect.
"The team is confident. We haven't lost since January. Before, we used to go out timidly and lacking in belief, now we don't care which stadium we run out in."
They ended Barcelona's record-breaking unbeaten start to the season with a 3-2 home win in January and were the first team to take anything from the Calderon with a 1-0 victory at third-placed Atletico Madrid three weeks ago.
Sociedad have 47 points and are 13 adrift of Atletico, though two ahead of fifth-placed Valencia, who visit Diego Simeone's side on Sunday .
Barca hold a 13-point advantage over second-placed Real Madrid, and will have one eye on next Tuesday's trip to play Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League quarter-final first leg.
Champions Real are at struggling Real Zaragoza on Saturday to take on a side without a win in 2013, and like Barca, will be shuffling their resources ahead of next Wednesday's visit of Galatasaray in their Champions League quarter-final.
