MADRID: The Spanish league trophy will be sitting by the field at the Alfredo Di St茅fano Stadium on Thursday, with Real Madrid a win away from lifting it for the first time in three years.

Madrid will have their first chance to clinch the title when they host  Villarreal at the Di St茅fano following a long season that was in jeopardy because of the coronavirus pandemic. They enter  the second-to-last round with a four-point lead over Barcelona, which face Osasuna at the Camp Nou at the same time.

Madrid need  two points from their last two matches to secure their 34th league title 鈥� and first since 2017. They can also lift the trophy with a loss if Barcelona fail  to defeat Osasuna.

It would be Madrid鈥檚 first league title since Cristiano Ronaldo left to join Juventus two seasons ago, and the first since coach Zinedine Zidane returned from a short break.

Barcelona won the last two league titles and were at the top this season when the coronavirus pandemic struck, but Madrid has been perfect since the break, winning nine straight.

鈥淲hen we returned from the confinement after being stuck at home for almost three months, I could see that the players wanted to achieve something big,鈥� Zidane said Wednesday. 鈥淚 could see it during the training sessions, I could see it in how they were practicing.鈥�

Madrid had lost three of their last four matches before the league was interrupted in March.

Barcelona seemed in control but endured an up-and-down run after the break, drawing three matches and losing their advantage at the top. Coach Quique Seti茅n, under pressure because of the team鈥檚 results and lackluster performances, knows his club faces a tough task trying to overcome Madrid鈥檚 advantage.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not over yet, anything can happen,鈥� said Seti茅n, who took over from Ernesto Valverde in January. 鈥淏ut it will be very difficult for us. You need a loss from a team that has won everything. We will keep fighting until the end.鈥�

Barcelona have won eight of the last 11 league titles, with Madrid lifting the trophy in 2017 and 2012.

Madrid will face a Villarreal team  sitting fifth in the standings and fighting for a Europa League berth. They had one of the best runs following the coronavirus break, winning six of its nine matches.

鈥淚t will be one of our most difficult matches,鈥� Zidane said. 鈥淚t's a very tough rival, a very good team.鈥�

Barcelona's opponent, Osasuna, are in 11th place.