La Liga Fixtures 2014 Week 15: Schedule, Live Stream Info, Picks and Key Players
Real Madrid have the chance to move into a five-point lead atop of the La Liga standings when Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema et al rock up to the Estadio Juegos Mediterraneos to take on Almeria.
Los Blancos picked up their 19th consecutive win in all competitions after toppling Ludogorets Razgrad in the Champions League in midweek and Carlo Ancelotti’s men have an excellent opportunity to heap early pressure on Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, who will face Getafe and Villarreal, respectively, in Week 15.
The games come thick and fast at this time of year, and with fatigue beginning to take hold of a lot of teams, often it's moments of individual brilliance that can prove to be the difference. So here’s a full rundown of fixtures as the Spanish top flight motors toward the festive period, and a look at the key men who could decide some of the most enticing games in Week 15:
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| Friday, Dec. 12 | |||
| Almeria vs. Real Madrid | 7:45 p.m. | Sky Sports 5/BeIN Sports | 1-4 |
| Saturday, Dec 13 | |||
| Getafe vs. Barcelona | 3 p.m. | Sky Sports 5/BeIN Sports | 0-2 |
| Valencia vs. Rayo Vallecano | 5 p.m. | Sky Sports 5 | 3-1 |
| Cordoba vs. Levante | 7 p.m. | Sky Sports 5 | 1-1 |
| Malaga vs. Celta Vigo | 9 p.m. | 2-1 | |
| Sunday, Dec 14 | |||
| Espanyol vs. Granada | 11 a.m. | 1-0 | |
| Sevilla vs. Eibar | 4 p.m. | 3-0 | |
| Atletico Madrid vs. Villarreal | 6 p.m. | Sky Sports 5/BeIN Sports | 2-1 |
| Real Sociedad vs. Athletic Club | 8 p.m. | Sky Sports 5 | 1-1 |
| Monday, Dec 15 | |||
| Deportivo La Coruna vs. Elche | 7:45 p.m. | 2-2 |
Live Streaming Info
Sky Sports (UK) will show a host of games from Spain this weekend with fixture information shown in the table above.
For those with a subscription unable to watch on the box, all such games can be watched via the Sky Go application or via the SkyGo official website.
Highlights and analysis of games from the Spanish top flight will be shown on Revista de la Liga on Sky Sports 1 on Tuesday night at 6 p.m. GMT.
For viewers in the United States, the games listed can be seen on BeIN Sports TV or via the BeIN Sports Connect website and application.
Top Picks
Atletico Madrid vs. Villarreal
After an inconsistent start to the La Liga season, the Spanish champions Atletico Madrid seem to have rediscovered their mojo. Diego Simeone’s side have won their last three consecutive games in the Spanish top flight, but their recent form will be tested by a Villarreal team that’ll come into this match in high spirits.
Indeed, the Madrigal outfit hammered Real Sociedad 4-0 in their last outing and will be intent on moving up the standings with a victory at the home of the champions. A win at the Vicente Calderon would see Villarreal cut the gap to Atletico to just five points, and see them potentially jump up to fifth in the table.
Denis Cheryshev has been the standout man for Marcelino’s side this season, as noted here by OptaJose:
The Russia winger is a player the Rojiblancos will have to be especially aware of, but they have some fine players of their own that can cause problems for the visitors. Mario Mandzukic, for example, is starting to find his groove at the Calderon, and he has six goals in 12 La Liga appearances up to now, per WhoScored.com.
Key Player: Bruno Soriano
The Villarreal midfielder is enjoying a real breakthrough campaign this season and capped another excellent performance against La Real with a stunning free-kick:
Capable of dictating the pace of the game with a poise and panache, the 30-year-old's attributes in the middle of the park will be absolutely vital to the Submarino Amarillo's cause at the home of the champions. Atletico are ferocious in their midfield pressing, so Bruno needs to be at his most productive, most efficient and most physical to help his team emerge with a positive result.
Real Sociedad vs. Athletic Club
The Basque derby is always one of the standout fixtures in the Spanish top flight, and with neither team performing to their best in the early stages of the season, this clash at the Anoeta will take on some added significance.
It’s especially vital for David Moyes after La Real’s humbling at the hands of Villarreal last time out. Even while that one-sided affair was taking place, Spanish football expert Samuel Marsden was looking ahead to the upcoming derby match and the importance of it for the former Manchester United boss:
Moyes will feel as though his side have the quality to get at an Athletic team that have blown hot and cold throughout the first part of the La Liga campaign. The Bilbao club have won four of their last six, but away from home they've have been far from impressive, triumphing in just two of their seven games away from the San Mames.
The momentum accrued from a derby victory is nectar for the winning manager. Moyes, who has never boasted a particularly healthy record in derby matches during his managerial career, could come under some early pressure should his side roll over. To the contrary, a victory over their regional rivals would do plenty to help banish the memories of the Madrigal beating.
Key Player: Carlos Vela
Derby matches are so often a place for talismanic figures to stand up and be counted, and for Real Sociedad that man is undeniably Carlos Vela. The Mexican forward has been the brightest player in the La Real camp this season and after his recent hat-trick against Elche, looks to be finding his best form:
But it's critical Moyes' side finds a way of giving Vela sufficient service, something that was far from the case in their 4-0 defeat last time out, as noted here by Spanish football writer Jamie Kemp:
After the summer departure of Antoine Griezmann to Atletico, Vela has had to shoulder extra responsibility in this line-up and under Moyes he has been deployed as a centre-forward. He has typically fared better when playing in an advanced role on the right-hand side, but all eyes will be on him to lead the line with distinction when Athletic come to town.
