La Liga Fixtures 2015 Week 36: Schedule, Live Stream Info, Picks and Key Players
Real Madrid's tough run of fixtures continues in Week 36, as they welcome Valencia to the Santiago Bernabeu in the standout tie of the weekend.
Carlo Ancelotti's side kept their title dreams alive with an important win away at Sevilla last weekend. However, Nuno Santo's men will be a tricky proposition, especially on the back of Real Madrid's draining Champions League clash with Juventus in midweek.
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By contrast, Barcelona will face a much more straightforward contest following their own European exploits, going up against mid-table Real Sociedad at the Camp Nou.
With the title race hotting up, here's a full rundown of the fixtures to come this weekend, details on where to catch the action via a stream and a closer look at a couple of players poised to make the difference for their respective teams.
| Friday, May 8 | 7:45 p.m. | Eibar vs. Espanyol | 1-1 |
| Saturday, May 9 | 3 p.m. | Granada vs. Cordoba | 2-1 |
| Saturday, May 9 | 5 p.m. | Barcelona vs. Real Sociedad* | 4-0 |
| Saturday, May 9 | 7 p.m | Real Madrid vs. Valencia* | 2-2 |
| Saturday, May 9 | 9 p.m. | Athletic Club vs. Deportivo | 2-1 |
| Sunday, May 10 | 11 a.m. | Levante vs. Atletico Madrid | 0-1 |
| Sunday, May 10 | 4 p.m. | Villarreal vs. Elche | 2-1 |
| Sunday, May 10 | 6 p.m. | Almeria vs. Malaga | 1-1 |
| Sunday, May 10 | 8 p.m. | Celta Vigo vs. Sevilla* | 1-2 |
| Monday, May 11 | 7:45 p.m. | Rayo Vallecano vs. Getafe | 1-0 |
*Matches available via Sky Go (UK).
All matches available to stream via beIN Sports Connect (US).
Nicolas Otamendi, Valencia
A crucial trait for any team looking to take a positive result from the Santiago Bernabeu is defensive solidity. With Nicolas Otamendi at the heart of their back four, Valencia have arguably the finest centre-back in the division.
The Argentinian international has been magnificent for Santo's team this season, helping his team preserve the second-best defensive record in the division behind Barcelona. He's a brilliant reader of the game, an indomitable aerial presence and in addition to his array of defensive qualities, regularly pops up with important goals, too.
As noted here by David Cartlidge of beIN Sports, Otamendi's contribution—along with central defensive partner Shkodran Mustafi—has been wide-ranging:
For this game, his role will be even more significant. Real have been in brilliant form on the domestic front, and in Cristiano Ronaldo, they have a forward who is back to his scintillating best. As such, it'd be fair to say Los Che are going to have plenty of defending to do when these two teams go head-to-head.
However, as Matteo Bonetti of beIN Sports noted, Otamendi is a serene influence at the back:
Valencia have been brilliantly cohesive in this campaign and will go to the Bernabeu with confidence. Given Real's midweek exploits and their own excellent form, expect another defensive masterclass from the Argentinian star to help Valencia to a valuable point as they bid to secure Champions League football for next season.
Luis Suarez, Barcelona
After struggling to find his devastating best in the early weeks of his career as a Barcelona player, Luis Suarez is back at full tilt once again for the Blaugrana.
The Uruguayan forward is the central component in the Catalans' much revered attacking triumvirate. Leading the line, Suarez is a ferocious presence, chasing down lost causes, dazzling with his movement and creating spaces for the likes of Lionel Messi and Neymar to wreak havoc on the flanks. Ominously, his goalscoring touch is back again, too.
As we can see here, courtesy of WhoScored.com, Suarez has totted up some remarkable numbers since the turn of the year:
His willingness to work defenders laterally and vertically has been critical to Barcelona breaking down stringent defences. With Real Sociedad likely to rock up at the Camp Nou and make things difficult for the Blaugrana, expect Suarez's ability to prise out space amidst the tightest of back lines to be decisive once again.
After all, the Uruguayan's hat-trick against Cordoba was an emphatic sign that he's in red-hot form:
It's worth remembering that Sociedad got the better of Barca in the return fixture earlier this year, but that result seemed to spark the Catalan giants into life. This time round, they'll be an entirely different proposition.
Sociedad boss David Moyes was often left bemoaning a Suarez masterclass in Merseyside derbies between his former club Everton and the forward's former employer Liverpool. Sadly for the Scot, with Barcelona in tremendous form, he will have to witness the Uruguayan terrorising one of his teams again.
