Giuseppe Rossi insists maintaining Villarreal's push for a Champions League place is his sole focus ahead of the visit of Real Madrid.

While all the talk this week has been of Madrid - Los Merengues retain a mathematical chance of winning the Primera Liga while the likely return of Florentino Perez as president has been front page news - the reality is the clash at El Madrigal is more important for the hosts.

Barcelona will in all likelihood clinch the title this weekend by gaining the point they need at Real Mallorca, with Juande Ramos' Madrid side already guaranteed second spot and automatic entry into the group stages of next season's Champions League.

Whether Villarreal can join them in Europe's elite club competition remains to be seen.

The Yellow Submarine are currently sixth, three points behind fourth-placed Valencia with just three games to go.

A win tomorrow is vital for Villarreal although Rossi, who has not scored in 11 games, knows it won't be easy against a side smarting from their 3-0 thrashing at Valencia last weekend.

"We must beat Real Madrid," the young Italy forward told www.villarrealcf.es.

"But we will face a very strong team who will be determined to pick up the victory after some bad results in recent weeks.

"We know we have to win if we are to qualify for the Champions League. A defeat would leave us with little chance."

Rossi's last goal came in the 2-1 defeat of Sporting Gijon on February 21 but the former Manchester United man is not letting his head drop at such a crucial stage of the season.

He added: "I have been waiting for a goal for a long time but more important for me is the team.

"It is possible that with these negative runs you can start to become nervous on the field but it doesn't have to be that way and the important thing is to work hard.

"That said, when a goal does come it will be a relief for me."

Madrid come into the game seven points behind Barca and knowing that anything other than a win would hand the trophy to Pep Guardiola's men 24 hours before their clash at the Son Moix.

Ramos is demanding his side record a win to at least place some pressure on their title rivals.

"While it is mathematically possible to win the league we must exhaust every possibility," he told www.realmadrid.com.

"That is what we must do, we are professionals and must do things the right way.

"We must present the best possible image over the three remaining games.

"Real Madrid have had a good season, in most seasons we would have been champions but Barcelona have been better."

Ramos was brought in by Madrid in December on a deal until the end of the season with the brief of securing a place in the Champions League.

And the former Sevilla and Tottenham boss is delighted to have achieved his aim.

"I signed for six months with a clear objective; to reach the Champions League," he added.

"We have achieved it already. I am proud of the results we have got. When we arrived the club was fifth and worried they would not qualify.

"The objective was never to win La Liga."