Real Madrid return after the international break looking for an eighth straight league victory, although the trip to Valencia today could be the toughest test yet for Jose Mourinho’s team.

Madrid lead defending champions Barcelona by three points, their largest advantage over their biggest rivals since Pep Guardiola took over as Barcelona coach.

“It’s important to be above Barcelona,” Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo said on Thursday. “It’s good and, more importantly, it motivates us.”

Valencia have won three straight games to sit four points off Madrid, who expect to have Brazil internationals Kaka, Marcelo and Turkey midfielder Nuri Sahin available following injuries.

“They are in their best moment of the Mourinho era,” Valencia midfielder David Albelda said. “Of course you’d prefer to play teams like this when they’re not on such a streak, but it also has to end at some point.”

Ronaldo returns after guiding Portugal into next year’s European Championship with a pair of goals in a 6-2 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina on Tuesday.

“We’re better and more mature,” Ronaldo said. “We’re playing well. But we’re taking it game-by-game. We know it’s going to be a very difficult and complicated match.”

Valencia held Barcelona to a 2-2 draw at the Mestalla Stadium earlier this season, with this trip marking Mourinho’s 50th game in charge.

Both Mourinho and Guardiola may have to juggle their lineups with at least a dozen from each squad returning from a lengthy international break.

Barcelona play Zaragoza today with Lionel Messi returning from mixed performances for Argentina, although the league’s leading scorer with 14 goals is certainly set to feature despite only arriving on Thursday alongside Argentina teammate Javier Mascherano. Chile forward Alexis Sanchez will also be available.

“I’m a little tired, but that’s normal after you return from injury,” said Sanchez as the Catalans look to avoid the let up that normally affects its game following international breaks.

While Messi will be marking eight years with the first team, midfielder Thiago Alcantara has just broken through and is likely to be called upon with so many internationals recovering from their long journeys.

“I never expected to get so many minutes this season, I’m surprised,” said Thiago, who helped guide Spain’s Under-21 team to two victories over the break while the senior squad lost against England and drew in Costa Rica.

Also, Athletic Bilbao follow their 2-2 draw against Barcelona with a difficult game at Sevilla tomorrow, which will test the Basque club’s 10-game unbeaten run.

Bilbao were unlucky to surrender a late goal to Messi in a memorable match at the San Mames before the break, and coach Marcelo Bielsa is looking to maintain the impressive turnaround after a poor start. Athletic are ninth while Sevilla are four points better in fifth as they target their first victory in five games.

“This break has worked out well to give us a rest but, unfortunately, it may have broken the dynamic that has made us so competitive of late,” defender Mikel San Jose said as Athletic vie for their first victory at the Sanchez Pizjuan since 1993.

After starting the first nine games unbeaten, Levante look to end a two-game losing streak when they play at Atletico Madrid, who will likely be without injured striker Radamel Falca as the club aims to have him back for the Spanish capital derby against Madrid next weekend.

In tomorrow’s other games, it’s: Real Sociedad vs. Espanyol; Sporting Gijon vs. Getafe; Osasuna vs. Rayo Vallecano; and Granada vs. Mallorca.

Malaga is at Racing Santander on Monday.