EURO GOVT-Bunds little changed before Spanish auction, ECB

LONDON Oct 4 (Reuters) - Bund futures were little changed on Thursday before a Spanish bond auction that is going to test market pressure on Madrid to ask for a bailout, while the European Central Bank is expected to hold fire on interest rates in its meeting later on.

Spain aims to sell between 3 and 4 billion euros of two-, three- and five-year bonds. Spanish bondholders would like to see the country asking for a rescue package that would pave the way for the ECB to buy its debt.

Bond markets have traded within a tight range in recent days as investors wait for more clues about the timing of a Spanish request for aid.

The ECB is expected to hold its main reference rate at a record low of 0.75 percent.

"Spain remains the key focus of the markets, it's just ongoing speculation all the time but nothing concrete," one trader said. "I imagine the ECB news conference will be dominated by (Spain) related questions."

At 0603 GMT, Bund futures were 5 ticks higher at 141.64.

Investors will also focus on jobless claims data out of the U.S on Thursday and the non-farm payrolls report on Friday. (Reporting by Marius Zaharia/editing by Chris Pizzey, London MPG Desk, +44 (0)207 542-4441)