Madrid, Feb 13 (IANS) Atletico Madrid and FC Barcelona are both looking to capitalise on Real Madrid’s jam-packed fixture schedule to maintain pressure in the La Liga title race this weekend. While Atletico and Barca enjoyed a week free of midweek matches, Real Madrid endured a draining Champions League clash against Manchester City on Tuesday night.
Although that match ended in a morale-boosting 3-2 win for Real Madrid, they still face the return leg next week, and Carlo Ancelotti may have to rotate his squad for Saturday’s challenging league trip to Osasuna, reports Xinhua.
Real Madrid’s defense remains in disarray without Antonio Rudiger, David Alaba, Eder Militao, or Lucas Vazquez, and Fede Valverde is in need of rest after playing over 3,000 minutes this season. Ancelotti is likely to rely on players such as Brahim Diaz, Arda Guler, and perhaps young defender Jacobo Ramon at the notoriously difficult El Sadar Stadium.
Atletico secured a draw last weekend at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, and if Real Madrid fails to win in Pamplona, Atletico could climb to the top with a win at home against Celta Vigo.
Diego Simeone is expected to field his strongest side – especially with Robin le Normand returning from suspension and rival side captain Iago Aspas fit again after last weekend’s crucial home win over Betis.
Barcelona, which doesn’t play until Monday, has an intriguing home match against Rayo Vallecano, one of La Liga’s most in-form teams after a nine-game unbeaten run that lifted them to sixth place.
Upcoming games against Barca, Villarreal, and Real Madrid over the next month will determine if Rayo can challenge for European qualification next season, with Monday’s match promising to be entertaining as their opponent is without suspended Fermin Lopez and injured Ronald Araujo.
Meanwhile, fourth-placed Athletic Club Bilbao will be keeping a close eye on the top three as they recover Nico Williams and Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta ahead of their visit to play Espanyol. Although Espanyol are just one spot above the relegation zone, they have remained unbeaten at home since October.
Girona kicks off the weekend on Friday night at home against a Getafe side that is steadily climbing the table thanks to their solid defense, remaining unbeaten so far in 2025.
On Saturday at lunchtime, Leganes and Alaves will contest a vital six-point relegation battle – Leganes sits just above the bottom three, while Alaves slipped to second from bottom following last weekend’s 1-0 defeat to Getafe.
That loss even led some Alaves fans to call for the club directors to resign and for former coach Luis Garcia Plaza to return, after he was replaced by current incumbent Eduardo Coudet, who desperately needs a good result as the pressure mounts.
Saturday’s schedule wraps up with a crucial east coast derby as fifth-placed Villarreal host Valencia, with both clubs having very different objectives. Villarreal must continue winning to pressure Athletic Club, while third-from-bottom Valencia need to build on last weekend’s hard-fought win over Leganes in what promises to be a tense match at the Estadio de la Ceramica.
At the bottom of the table, Valladolid host Sevilla before Mallorca take on Las Palmas in a game between two sides struggling for positive results. Las Palmas, with four defeats and a draw in their last five games, have slipped back into the relegation battle, while three defeats and a draw have seen Mallorca slide into mid-table after an excellent first half of the campaign.
The final match on Sunday features a talented but inconsistent Betis hosting Real Sociedad, who travel to Seville after a Europa League playoff in Denmark on Thursday night. The visitors face not only accumulated fatigue but also a significant temperature change – both factors that are unlikely to work in their favour.
–IANS
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