La Liga Fixtures 2014 Week 9: Schedule, Live Stream Info, Picks and Key Players
Week 9 of the 2014-15 La Liga season is all about the first Clasico of the season, as Barcelona and Real Madrid battle for league superiority with plenty of history and impressive streaks on the line.
Sevilla will host Villarreal looking to continue their excellent start to the campaign, as a win would guarantee them a top-two spot once the weekend is over. Atletico Madrid face a trip to Getafe, who haven't lost in three matches and could present the defending champions with a serious challenge.
Here's the full schedule for Week 9, complete with picks and live stream info:
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| Oct. 24 | 8 p.m. | Celta Vigo | Levante | BeIN Sports Connect | 2-0 |
| Oct. 25 | 3 p.m. | Almeria | Athletic Bilbao | BeIN Sports Connect | 1-1 |
| Oct. 25 | 5 p.m. | Real Madrid | Barcelona | Sky Go/BeIN Sports Connect | 1-1 |
| Oct. 25 | 7 p.m. | Valencia | Elche | Sky Go/BeIN Sports Connect | 3-0 |
| Oct. 25 | 9 p.m. | Cordoba | Real Sociedad | Sky Go/BeIN Sports Connect | 1-0 |
| Oct. 25 | 9 p.m. | Eibar | Granada | BeIN Sports Connect | 2-2 |
| Oct. 26 | Noon | Malaga | Rayo Vallecano | BeIN Sports Connect | 0-2 |
| Oct. 26 | 5 p.m. | Espanyol | Deportivo La Coruna | BeIN Sports Connect | 0-0 |
| Oct. 26 | 7 p.m. | Sevilla | Villarreal | Sky Go/BeIN Sports Connect | 2-1 |
| Oct. 26 | 9 p.m. | Getafe | Atletico Madrid | Sky Go/BeIN Sports Connect | 0-1 |
The Sky Go app (for UK viewers) can be found here.
BeIN Sports Connect (for US viewers) can be accessed by clicking here.
Key Players
Real Madrid: Cristiano Ronaldo
Picking star-forward Cristiano Ronaldo as Los Blancos' key player feels almost too easy, but on Saturday, no one will be able to look past the Portugal international. As reported by WhoScored.com, Ronaldo has scored in every La Liga match he has played in this season.
He'll put that streak on the line against a Blaugrana defence that is yet to concede, and something will have to give. Judging by Ronaldo's insane form, a betting man would bet on the forward. Former England striker Gary Lineker is in awe:
Fans shouldn't discount Barcelona's streak of clean sheets, even if their eight matches so far haven't been against the best La Liga has to offer. It takes a phenomenal defensive effort to go even four weeks without conceding, let alone eight.
But Los Blancos field the world's best group of attackers, and via WhoScored, their scoring record in La Liga is borderline absurd. A total of 30 goals in eight matches has led to six wins and two losses, and in those two losses, Ronaldo either didn't play (Real Sociedad) or was still hampered with an injury (Atletico Madrid).
At this point, it's fair to assume the question isn't whether Ronaldo will score—it's when, and how many? If the Portuguese superstar carries his form into Saturday's match, El Clasico could be decided before it ever truly started.
Barcelona: Ivan Rakitic/Xavi
Surprised? Sure, Lionel Messi deserves special mention for his opportunity to become the greatest scorer in La Liga history, via OptaJoe, and Luis Suarez's impact on this Blaugrana squad is one of the biggest storylines going into the match:
But if Barcelona want to come away with a result from the Bernabeu on Saturday, the efforts of their midfielders will be just as important. Ivan Rakitic was an early favourite for the title of La Liga's transfer of the season, but a dreadful showing against Paris Saint-Germain saw him lose his spot, via ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan:
He made his return against Ajax, and most pundits agree Luis Enrique will choose between the Croatia international and Barcelona legend Xavi for the final starting spot in the centre of the pitch.
Javier Mascherano has looked more than just solid relieving Sergio Busquets in the holding midfielder spot, but the latter is expected to return to the starting lineup on Saturday.
Both are phenomenal players with a wealth of experience—both would do just fine. The question marks revolve around Rakitic, who has never played in a Clasico before, and Xavi, who is 34 years old and may struggle against the athletic abilities of James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos.
To beat Real Madrid, you need to be perfect. And if either of these two midfield wizards aren't, the Blaugrana may struggle tremendously at the Bernabeu.
Atletico Madrid: Miranda
Atletico Madrid's Miranda missed the team's 2-0 win over Espanyol after returning late from international duty, but he's expected to partner Diego Godin when the defending champions take on Getafe.
The hosts recorded a thrilling comeback win over Real Sociedad powered by Karim Yoda's two late goals, but in truth, it was the entire attack that deserved praise, including manager Cosmin Contra's decision to give Sammir a free role in attack.
In his post-match presser, Contra agreed the offensive system was a big reason for their success, via Inside Spanish Football's Heath Chesters:
"I think we started the game really well. We knew that Real Sociedad really need points, that they’re nervous and would attack from the first minute. We made some changes, playing Sammir as a false-nine and with plenty of depth on the flanks. We made a good start, had some chances and as to be expected of a great team like Real Sociedad, they created their chances too.
"
The duo of Yoda and Sammir has pace to burn, and with the onus to attack on Madrid, there will be open spaces for the two forwards to abuse. It will be up to Miranda, the leader of Atletico's defence, to communicate with his players and make sure no one advances too far out of position.
