After beating Osasuna 2-1 last Sunday to lift the title for a record 31st time, Madrid kept its momentum and produced its best soccer of the season to rout its archrival FC Barcelona 4-1 on Wednesday.
Madrid has mounted a run of six wins and one draw in its past seven games to take a 10-point lead and bring Bernd Schuster his first major trophy in an 11-year coaching career.
"I didn't expect this before the season started. I thought we would be a title candidate but not that we would be so far ahead," Schuster said.
While Madrid can enter the match at La Romareda stadium in a relaxed mood, 16th-place Zaragoza is threatened by relegation after a traumatic season in which it has played under four different coaches.
Although he may be tempted to rest some of his triumphant team, Schuster would run the risk of drawing accusations from other struggling teams that he was favoring Zaragoza.
However, the German coach may alter his attack to allow Ruud van Nistelrooy a starting place. The Netherlands international returned from a right ankle operation as a substitute against Barcelona and soon converted a penalty for Madrid's fourth goal.
After 36 matches, Madrid has 81 points, while Villarreal has 71 and Barcelona 64. Atletico Madrid, which visited Espanyol later Thursday, follows with 58 points from 35 games. Sevilla is fifth, with 58 from 36 games.
Barcelona's humiliating defeat at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium means that third place - its worst finish in five years - is the best the team can hope for from its second straight season without a major trophy.
The Catalan side, which has won just one of its past seven league games, will now be obliged to play in the qualifying phase of the Champions League and return to training earlier in the offseason.
Barcelona supporters are expected to vent their frustrations on Sunday when the team faces seventh-place Mallorca at the Camp Nou, with president Joan Laporta set to be the prime target for their ire.
The match could be coach Frank Rijkaard's last home appearance in charge as reports suggest that Barcelona has lined up reserve team coach and former midfielder Pep Guardiola as a replacement.
The injured Ronaldinho, who last played for Barcelona in March, is also expected to depart in the offseason.
Against Mallorca, Barcelona will again lack central defender Gabi Milito, recently ruled out for six months with a right knee injury, together with suspended midfielder Xavi Hernandez and defender Rafael Marquez.
Mallorca, which has won its past three away games, has been helped by the impressive form of striker Dani Guiza. The Spanish international leads the league scoring chart with 25 goals after netting eight times in the past five games.
Villarreal visits Espanyol after guaranteeing a place in the group phase of next season's Champions League by securing the runner-up spot, the best position in the eastern club's history.
Villarreal will be seeking its fifth straight victory, after striker Nihat Kahveci scored four times in four games to take his season's tally to 18.
Atletico, Sevilla and Racing Santander are also in the running for one of Spain's four Champions League places.
Atletico hosts Deportivo La Coruna, Sevilla visits fierce crosstown rival Real Betis, while Santander plays at Athletic Bilbao.
Four sides are prime candidates to accompany already relegated Levante and Murcia into the second division - Valladolid, Zaragoza, Recreativo Huelva and Osasuna. Valladolid has 43, Zaragoza 41, and Recreativo and Osasuna 40.
Osasuna hopes visiting Murcia will react to the loss of its first-division place by putting up little opposition, while Valladolid hosts beaten Copa del Rey finalist Getafe, and Recreativo visits No. 10 Almeria.
No. 13 Valencia, whose 1-0 victory over Zaragoza on Wednesday meant there is now little likelihood of it being relegated, entertains city rival Levante.
All the games will be played at 1900 GMT on Sunday.
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