La Liga Fixtures 2015 Week 26: Schedule, Live Stream Info, Picks and Key Players
Barcelona have the smell of success in their nostrils after they cut Real Madrid's lead at the top of La Liga on Matchday 25.
The Camp Nou club comfortably dispatched Granada for the win, while Los Blancos failed to beat a tough Villarreal outfit.
The Blaugrana could now go top if they defeat Rayo Vallecano at home and the Galacticos slip up away against Athletic Bilbao.
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Here is the full fixture schedule for the next matches, including live stream information and players to watch out for.
Games are available via Sky Go and BeIN Sports Connect:
| Friday, Mar. 6 | 7:45 (GMT) / 2:45 p.m. (ET) | Levante v Eibar | BeIN Sports Connect | 1-1 |
| Saturday, Mar. 7 | 3 p.m. (GMT) / 10 a.m. (ET) | Deportivo La Coruna v Sevilla | BeIN Sports Connect | 1-2 |
| Saturday, Mar. 7 | 5 p.m. (GMT) / 12 p.m. (ET) | Athletic Bilbao v Real Madrid | Sky Go / beIN Sports Connect | 1-2 |
| Saturday, Mar. 7 | 7 p.m. (GMT) / 2 p.m. (ET) | Elche v Almeria | Sky Go / beIN Sports Connect | 2-1 |
| Saturday, Mar. 7 | 9 p.m. (GMT) / 4 p.m. (ET) | Granada v Malaga | BeIN Sports Connect | 1-3 |
| Sunday, Mar. 8 | 11 a.m. (GMT) / 6 a.m. (ET) | Barcelona v Rayo Vallecano | Sky Go / beIN Sports Connect | 3-0 |
| Sunday, Mar. 8 | 4 p.m. (GMT) / 11 a.m. (ET) | Real Sociedad v Espanyol | BeIN Sports Connect | 1-0 |
| Sunday, Mar. 8 | 6 p.m. (GMT) / 1 p.m. (ET) | Villarreal v Celta Vigo | Sky Go / beIN Sports Connect | 1-0 |
| Sunday, Mar. 8 | 8 p.m. (GMT) / 3 p.m. (ET) | Atletico Madrid v Valencia | Sky Go / beIN Sports Connect | 2-1 |
| Monday, Mar. 9 | 7:45 p.m. (GMT) / 2:45 p.m. (ET) | Cordoba v Getafe | BeIN Sports Connect | 2-2 |
Former Liverpool talisman Luis Suarez has taken time to find his feet at Barcelona but it now seems the Uruguay international has started to find his best form.
The attacker scored once against Granada on Saturday, and was involved in the other two goals, as Barca cut the deficit at the top of La Liga to just two points.
Suarez has lived in the shadow of Lionel Messi and Neymar since his transfer from the Premier League but he has steadily clawed his way into the sunshine after a relatively slow start for a player of his standards.
But controversy is never far away from Suarez and he appeared openly upset at his late substitution on Saturday, petulantly walking away in apparent disgust.
Barca coach Luis Enrique refused to be fully drawn by the incident, and appears to have read little into Suarez's emotional display, per Sky Sports:
"I'm not looking at what took place off the field [with Suarez]. When I played I didn't want to be involved in every minute. In the kickabouts and in matches where the substitutes were playing, I wasn't bothered about playing then.
"
And with Suarez now firing, it is no surprise Enrique is giving his striker some disciplinary space, though this could backfire with the character of this specific talent.
The Uruguayan's record is more respectable with each passing game, now recording nine goals in his 20 La Liga and European appearances, per WhoScored.com, while also providing an impressive nine assists for his team-mates.
Suarez will continue to grow in a Barcelona shirt and it will be interesting to see if this affects the use of Neymar or Lionel Messi.
Suarez does not have the star appeal of his two forward partners but he has the talent to impact how they are used tactically.
A win against Rayo Vallecano could see Barca leap to the top of La Liga but Enrique will need his world-class forward line to consistently perform if the title is to return to Catalan soil.
Toni Kroos
German midfielder Toni Kroos has rather been thrown in at the deep end by Real Madrid during his first season in Spanish football, largely due to the injury of Luka Modric.
The talents of the former Bayern Munich starlet are not in doubt but the pressure of taking on the role of leader in midfield is not something Kroos is used to, often surrounded by more experienced heads in the Bundesliga.
But Kroos has adapted well to his new surroundings and has shown a good level of mature consistency during his opening gambit as a Galactico.
The 25-year-old has started 31 times for Madrid in La Liga and Europe, providing nine assists but scoring just the once, per WhoScored:
He appears happy as the central midfield fulcrum for Carlo Ancelotti, but the lack of depth in this department has hurt Madrid's productivity further up the pitch.
Guillem Balague of Sky Sports and Bleacher Report recently highlighted this deficiency and commented on Kroos' frequency of use in the famous white shirt:
"But as captain Iker Casillas revealed Real’s lull it’s not a physical thing because they finished strongly in the second-half against Villarreal. This is more of a football thing and it’s down to the lack of midfielders they have available at the moment.
Luka Modric is a huge miss to the side. He brings so much fluidity to the game and takes a lot of responsibility and big decisions, good decisions.
Even though Isco has done really well in terms of consistency and presence, the lack of James Rodriguez as well has been a big miss. New boy Lucas Silva is also still trying to find his feet, while Toni Kroos is playing more now than he has ever done in his career.
"
Madrid need a specific kind of stability to allow Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale to play to their full potential, and players such as Kroos have the burden of keeping Los Blancos ticking along.
The German has talent and composure beyond his years but if Madrid drop points against Bilbao, the pressure will be turned up to levels he didn't feel in Munich.
Madrid are always a difficult beast to navigate, with every loss being amplified beyond comprehension. It is questionable whether Kroos can keep up, in the short term, but for now he must give a performance level befitting of the Bernabeu's expectation.
