In-form Valencia will attempt to keep alive the only remaining 100% record in La Liga on Wednesday when they take on Atletico Madrid.

Valencia have won all three of their league matches to date, beating Malaga, Racing Santander and Hercules, while they also began their Champions League campaign in impressive fashion with a 4-0 defeat of Bursaspor in Turkey last week.

Los Che enjoyed another good result yesterday as they earned a 2-1 win at Barcelona's conquerors Hercules - despite playing almost the entire second half with a man less following David Navarro's dismissal.

That left the east-coast side at the top of the standings with the only perfect record, but on Wednesday they face arguably their biggest test so far as they meet the team they replaced at the summit, Atletico.

Atletico had won their opening two games as well, but they were outclassed by Barcelona at the Vicente Calderon last night as they slumped to a 2-1 defeat.

Both Valencia and Atletico will be hoping to push title favourites Barca and Real Madrid hard this season, and Wednesday's clash between the two could be a good marker for both clubs.

Veteran Valencia goalkeeper Cesar Sanchez is not getting ahead of himself though, saying: "I'm one of those who thinks there is no prize for being leaders in the third week of the season, but I'm more comfortable here than in other positions."

Nothing may have been decided by the third week of the season, but there is already an ominous look about the top six with big guns Madrid, Barca, Sevilla and Villarreal up there alongside Valencia and Atletico.

Madrid, who have taken seven points from a possible nine under new coach Jose Mourinho, tackle Espanyol tomorrow while Barca host Sporting Gijon on Wednesday.

Pep Guardiola's side bounced back from their shock 2-0 defeat at home to promoted Hercules the previous weekend by ending a run of three successive defeats at the Vicente Calderon last night.

However, the win came at a cost with Lionel Messi suffering an ankle injury that means he will miss at least the next two games, although Barca will be relieved it is not much worse than that.

Atletico defender Tomas Ujfalusi, whose late challenge on Messi saw the Argentinian carried off on a stretcher and earned the Czech a red card, said today: "I want to publicly apologise to Leo.

"It wasn't my intention to injure him. I went for the ball and struck Messi's ankle. It was bad luck and I hope he recovers soon."

Sevilla, who are second in the standings, are at home to Racing Santander on Wednesday while fifth-placed Villarreal host Deportivo La Coruna on Thursday.

At the other end of the table, rock-bottom Levante travel to 17th-placed Almeria on Wednesday still looking for their first points since earning promotion back to the top flight.

In the other midweek fixtures, second-bottom Real Zaragoza meet Hercules, third-bottom Osasuna host Real Sociedad, Malaga go to Getafe and Athletic Bilbao meet Real Mallorca.