Ultimate Guide to La Liga Weekend: Real Madrid’s Tricky Test, Celta for Europe

Week after week, from now until the end of the season in La Liga, it will be a case of who blinks first in the race for the title.

Once again, we head into a weekend round of fixtures with the potential to witness three changes of leadership in a single day. Barcelona remain top, but the order of play again allows Real Madrid to jump two spots with a win, Atletico Madrid to follow them with the next match and Barca to reclaim their top spot before the close of play.

Quite apart from the usual characteristics of technical quality and tactical acumen required to win football matches, this season in particular is demanding huge reserves of mental strength from the three sides involved, knowing that it has taken a formidable effort from the two Madrid clubs to get back into the title race late on and from the Catalan side in knowing they cannot afford another single slip.

This time out, though, there is perhaps one side facing a greater challenge than the other two: Real, travelling to Anoeta to face Real Sociedad.

La Real’s season is over for the most part, and they are marooned in mid-table after recovering, to an extent, from the dismal David Moyes spell earlier in the season. They have only won two from their last 10—but predictably saved those for the big occasion, beating Sevilla away and Barcelona at home. They also held Villarreal to a draw at El Madrigal a week ago.

Real Madrid might be the better side, but Sociedad have long been able to raise their game and the atmosphere at home for these occasions; Zinedine Zidane’s side are also balancing themselves between two UEFA Champions League semi-final legs. They need to rotate one or two to bring freshness and impetus to the team, but the delicate situation at the top means it’s still all or nothing every time they take to the pitch.

This might turn out to be the weekend that three became two in the title fight.

 

 

Jornada 36 (kick-off times via Soccerway)

Friday

Sporting Gijon vs. Eibar

 

Saturday

Real Sociedad vs. Real Madrid

Atletico Madrid vs. Rayo Vallecano

Real Betis vs. Barcelona

Granada vs. Las Palmas

 

Sunday

Athletic Club vs. Celta Vigo

Espanyol vs. Sevilla

Deportivo La Coruna vs. Getafe

Valencia vs. Villarreal

 

Monday

Malaga vs. Levante

 

What to Watch out for this Weekend

Part 1: Race for European spots

The top three are out on their own, but fourth place still isn’t …

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