Jose Mourinho oversees his 100th match as Real Madrid boss on Saturday, hoping to see his team open a 13-point lead over Barcelona at the La Liga summit.
Champions Barcelona, who travel to Racing Santander on Sunday, have been chasing a prolific Real side who have given little room for error, winning 20 out of their last 21 games.
Mourinho now feels that it would take something out of the ordinary for his team not to win the league.
"I'd like to think we are going to be champions but if that doesn't happen it will be because Barcelona have played a spectacular final stage and because we have not been able to maintain the same ambition and determination," he said Saturday.
"The league is still open as there are a lot of games and points to be won."
On his time so far at Madrid, Mourinho added: "I am happy here like I was at Inter but Madrid are working hard to accommodate me.
"I felt that I needed to coach Madrid to know what it is like at a great club and it is a positive and unforgettable experience."
Meanwhile, newly-rich Malaga leapfrogged Levante into fourth place in La Liga with a Jose Rondon header giving them a 1-0 victory over the modest side from Valencia.
Levante, with the lowest budget in the league, have been a major surprise this season as they are more used to fighting around the lower reaches of the league.
But they have now been overtaken by Malaga who have been bank rolled by Qatari Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser al Thani and spent heavily on new players last summer.
Malaga dominated the opening stages of the game but lacked a cutting edge while Levante could have stolen a lead on the counterattack by Abdelkader Ghezzal.
After the break, chances began to appear at either end and Joaquin Sanchez had a strike well saved by the keeper before shortly afterwards he laid on the pass from a free-kick for Rondon to head the ball into the corner after 51 minutes.
Arouna Kone went within inches of equalising with a toe poke past the keeper but Malaga should have extended their lead through excellent openings for Rondon and Isco Alarcon.
At the other end of the table bottom side Zaragoza's problems increased as they were beaten 3-0 by Real Sociedad.
Source: AFP
