Runaway Spanish league leaders Barcelona are already dreaming of a future that will feature France striker Thierry Henry as they enter the home straight in La Liga with a nine-point cushion.
The Catalan club switch from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic coast as they travel to San Sebastian-based outfit Real Sociedad hoping that last week's loss at Osasuna was a blip.
As nearest rivals Valencia and Real Madrid cancelled each other out in a draw Barca, who had Edmilson and Thiago Motta sent off, got off lightly with their lead was trimmed by just one point.
With 11 games to go, Frank Rijkaard's men are poised to reclaim the title.
Barcelona's Cameroon international hotshot Samuel Eto'o, whose 18 league goals have established him as the deadliest marksman in the country, said he would welcome Arsenal forward Henry, should the latter elect to jump on board at the Nou Camp.
"If he comes he'd be welcome," said Eto'o as rumours persisted in the Catalan media that Henry could elect to seek a new challenge after seven seasons under Arsene Wenger's tutelage at Highbury.
On Barca's chances of throwing the title away the African forward said simply: "Barcelona's main rival is Barcelona. If we think we can go out there and win without performing that would be a problem." Ominously, Eto'o said Barca were resolved to "put right what went wrong last week."
Barca will be without injured pair Leo Messi and Xavi Hernandez, as well as the banned Motta, on Saturday.
Real Madrid are at home to Real Betis on Sunday with the league all the nine-times European champions have left to play for after last week's Champions league exit at the hands of Arsenal.
The copious Spanish sports media were Thursday awash with speculation on who will eventually land the hot seat at the Bernabeu next season with Wenger and also AC Milan's Carlo Ancelotti nudging ahead in the pundit stakes ahead of Juventus' Fabio Capello.
"The Ancelotti option is progressing," said Marca sports daily, but AS insisted that "Wenger is best placed."
Marca reported that AC Milan owner and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi had said on Wednesday that "Ancelotti must choose between Real and Milan".
New chairman Fernando Martin is on record as saying he will state his choice by the end of March as to who should replace caretaker Juan Ramon Lopez Caro amid reports the club may go back cap in hand to former coach Vincente del Bosque, sacked after "only" winning the 2003 league crown.
Since then a procession of coaches have come and gone without putting silverware on the sideboard.
Valencia, whose three defeats in the league comprise the lowest total - Barca have lost four and Real seven - travel to a racing Santander side who are not entirely safe from the drop as third-bottom Betis are just three points behind.
With four Spanish berths up for grabs in the Champions League Osasuna currently hold the whip hand for the final one as they are four points ahead of Celta Vigo.
After seeing off Barca the north western side coached by former Mexico coach Javier Aguirre travel to mid-table Espanyol on Sunday knowing that a win can bring them level with Real - if Betis cause a major upset at the Bernabeu.
Vigo have a home meeting with relegation-haunted Athletic Bilbao in the late game on Sunday while sixth-placed Seville, fresh from booking their passage to the UEFA Cup quarter-finals host a Mallorca side who have hauled themselves clear of the drop zone in recent weeks.
Elsewhere, Champions League quarter-finalists Villarreal, who midweek learned they will next face Inter Milan, meet Atletico Madrid on Saturday seeking to make up ground on both Vigo and Seville, just ahead of them.
Villarreal's Diego Forlan has this season failed to reproduce his goal-every-two-games form of last season but the former Manchester United man has still done enough to attract interest from English Premiership side Newcastle.
Media reports Thursday also linked Newcastle with Atletico Madrid striker Fernando Torres.
In other action, Deportivo La Coruna, denied a place in the Spanish Cup final by Espanyol on Wednesday, can bounce back and rekindle hopes of a top six finish with three points at modest Getafe, who can harbour the same ambition if they manage a win which would draw them level with Depor.
Real Zaragoza, who will face Espanyol in the Cup final, travel to rock bottom Malaga, who desperately need a win as they stand four points from safety.
Relegation zone fellow travellers Cadiz and Alaves face off in the other game to complete the weekend programme.