La Liga Table Week 18: Updated 2015 Table, Fixtures and Latest Predictions
La Liga's top two suffered setbacks in their hunts for 2015 silverware last week as Real Madrid and Barcelona dropped to Valencia and Real Sociedad, respectively.
As such, both teams are seeking redemption in Week 18 of the 2014-15 campaign, hoping to put a more positive spin on what has thus far been a disappointing year.
Read on for a breakdown of the La Liga standings heading into Week 18, along with preview of the biggest ties and how the fixtures will unfold.
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| Position | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Real Madrid | 16 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 56 | 15 | +41 | 39 |
| 2 | Barcelona | 17 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 41 | 8 | +33 | 38 |
| 3 | Atletico Madrid | 17 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 34 | 15 | +19 | 38 |
| 4 | Valencia | 17 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 31 | 14 | +17 | 34 |
| 5 | Sevilla | 16 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 26 | 17 | +9 | 33 |
| 6 | Villarreal | 17 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 29 | 16 | +13 | 31 |
| 7 | Malaga | 17 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 21 | 17 | +4 | 30 |
| 8 | Eibar | 17 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 21 | 23 | -2 | 23 |
| 9 | Espanyol | 17 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 21 | 26 | -5 | 20 |
| 10 | Rayo Vallecano | 17 | 6 | 2 | 9 | 19 | 32 | -13 | 20 |
| 11 | Celta Vigo | 17 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 17 | 19 | -2 | 20 |
| 12 | Athletic Club | 17 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 14 | 21 | -7 | 19 |
| 13 | Real Sociedad | 17 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 18 | 22 | -4 | 18 |
| 14 | Getafe | 17 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 22 | -9 | 17 |
| 15 | Almeria | 17 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 15 | 25 | -10 | 16 |
| 16 | Deportivo La Coruna | 17 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 14 | 27 | -13 | 16 |
| 17 | Levante | 17 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 13 | 33 | -20 | 15 |
| 18 | Cordoba | 17 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 13 | 27 | -14 | 14 |
| 19 | Granada | 17 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 28 | -18 | 13 |
| 20 | Elche | 17 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 34 | -19 | 11 |
| Date | Time | Home | Prediction | Away |
| Friday, Jan. 9 | 7:45 p.m. GMT/2:45 p.m. ET | Levante | 1 - 1 | Deportivo La Coruna |
| Saturday, Jan. 10 | 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET | Real Madrid | 3 - 1 | Espanyol |
| Saturday, Jan. 10 | 5 p.m. GMT/12 p.m. ET | Malaga | 1 - 1 | Villarreal |
| Saturday, Jan. 10 | 7 p.m. GMT/2 p.m. ET | Celta Vigo | 0 - 2 | Valencia |
| Saturday, Jan. 10 | 9 p.m. GMT/4 p.m. ET | Eibar | 2 - 1 | Getafe |
| Sunday, Jan. 11 | 4 p.m. GMT/11 a.m. ET | Athletic Bilbao | 2 - 0 | Elche |
| Sunday, Jan. 11 | 4 p.m. GMT/11 a.m. ET | Sevilla | 3 - 1 | Almeria |
| Sunday, Jan. 11 | 6 p.m. GMT/1 p.m. ET | Granada | 1 - 2 | Real Sociedad |
| Sunday, Jan. 11 | 8 p.m. GMT/3 p.m. ET | Barcelona | 2 - 2 | Atletico Madrid |
| Monday, Jan. 12 | 7:45 p.m. GMT/2:45 p.m. ET | Rayo Vallecano | 1 - 0 | Cordoba |
Must-Watch Matchups
Malaga vs. Villarreal
Separated by just a single point, Malaga and Villarreal engage in a hotly contested battle this Saturday, with the Andalusian hosts hoping to leapfrog their rivals in the search for a European finish.
Neither team managed to claim a victory in their most recent league outings, however, with Malaga falling at the hands of Almeria in just their second home defeat of the season, while Villarreal drew 2-2 at Elche.
The Anchovies have since bounced back with a 2-0 win over Levante in the Copa del Rey, though, and beIN Sports' David Cartlidge is tipping youngster Ricardo Horta to have a bigger impact as this campaign progresses:
Malaga's stingy record at home will have intimidated Villarreal previously, but if a relegation contender such as Almeria can overcome that obstacle, they too will feel capable of claiming a result.
Javi Gracia's side are also coming up against a Villarreal team who have scored the second-highest amount of goals away from home this season (13) and have a big task in fending off their assault.
Prediction: Malaga 1-1 Villarreal
Celta Vigo vs. Valencia
After claiming the scalp of Real Madrid, Valencia should feel more confident than ever that they are ready to re-emerge as a major Spanish power this season.
That victory extended Los Che's winning streak to three games, but as Inside Spanish Football confirmed, injuries to Pablo Piatti and goalkeeper Diego Alves have put a dampener on their parade:
Nuno's men have the chance to overcome those absences, however, travelling to face Celta Vigo on Saturday with their opponents in dire form, losing their last six on the trot.
What's more, Celta have now failed to score in more than 630 minutes of play, a dramatic turn from the team which lost only once in its first 11 games of the campaign.
Valencia's intensity must be maintained after the Real win, a result which makes the club susceptible to complacency, but they have the mentality to overcome such stumbling blocks.
Prediction: Celta Vigo 0-2 Valencia
Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid
The highlight fixture of Week 18 sees Barcelona playing host to Atletico Madrid this Sunday, with both teams currently level on points and looking to capitalise on any further slip-ups Real Madrid suffer.
With just a point separating each team from the leaders, both Barca and Atleti know what lies at stake in their Camp Nou clash, although it's the latter who have enjoyed better form of late, winning their last two.
Diego Simeone will look to utilise the returned prodigal son Fernando Torres in Catalan country, but Bleacher Report's Andy Brassell and Dermot Corrigan of ESPN FC have confirmed Villarreal's Cani is another new face to consider:
Simeone has already gone about strengthening his roster this season, while Barca's transfer ban prevents them from doing as much, just one of the controversies currently putting the club in a dour mood.
This weekend's tie will be Barca's first league outing since Andoni Zubizarreta was axed from his role of director and it will be of some interest to see how spirits are faring among the players in what's a pivotal clash.
Prediction: Barcelona 2-2 Atletico Madrid
