La Liga Fixtures 2016: Schedule, Live Stream and Week 18 Predictions
Barcelona can once again move clear of their La Liga peers on Saturday afternoon as Luis Enrique's side travel to face Espanyol in the opening fixture of the Week 18 schedule.
Looking to stay close to their bitter rivals are Real Madrid, and Los Blancos have a tricky task on their hands as they make the trip to the Mestalla on Sunday hoping to topple Gary Neville's Valencia side.
The Blaugrana currently sit at the league summit and are level on points with Atletico Madrid, who host Levante in a Saturday matchup they'll be confident of winning to remain on Barca's heels.
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With all that and more to look forward to in Week 18, find all the essential streaming information ahead, along with score predictions and a preview of this weekend's Spanish top-flight action.
| Saturday, Jan. 2 | 3 p.m. (GMT) / 10 a.m. (ET) | Espanyol | 0-3 | Barcelona | Sky Go / beIN Sports Connect |
| Saturday, Jan. 2 | 7:30 p.m. (GMT) / 2:30 p.m. (ET) | Atletico Madrid | 3-0 | Levante | Sky Go / beIN Sports Connect |
| Saturday, Jan. 2 | 9:05 p.m. (GMT) / 4:05 p.m. (ET) | Malaga | 2-1 | Celta Vigo | Sky Go / beIN Sports Connect |
| Sunday, Jan. 3 | 11 a.m. (GMT) / 6 a.m. (ET) | Rayo Vallecano | 1-1 | Real Sociedad | Sky Go / beIN Sports Connect |
| Sunday, Jan. 3 | 3 p.m. (GMT) / 10 a.m. (ET) | Real Betis | 1-2 | Eibar | Sky Go / beIN Sports Connect |
| Sunday, Jan. 3 | 3 p.m. (GMT) / 10 a.m. (ET) | Granada | 1-1 | Sevilla | Sky Go / beIN Sports Connect |
| Sunday, Jan. 3 | 5:15 p.m. (GMT) / 12:15 p.m. (ET) | Deportivo La Coruna | 1-2 | Villarreal | Sky Go / beIN Sports Connect |
| Sunday, Jan. 3 | 5:15 p.m. (GMT) / 12:15 p.m. (ET) | Athletic Bilbao | 2-0 | Las Palmas | Sky Go / beIN Sports Connect |
| Sunday, Jan. 3 | 7:30 p.m. (GMT) / 2:30 p.m. (ET) | Valencia | 1-3 | Real Madrid | Sky Go / beIN Sports Connect |
| Monday, Jan. 4 | 7:30 p.m. (GMT) / 2:30 p.m. (ET) | Sporting Gijon | 1-0 | Getafe | Sky Go / beIN Sports Connect |
Barcelona Continue Unbeaten Derby Streak
The Barcelona derby is the most played of all rival clashes in the history of La Liga, but it's also one of the most one-sided, as Barcelona have taken a dominant upper hand over Espanyol in the 86-year-old fixture.
The last time Los Periquitos defeated the Blaugrana came all the way back in 2009, and Barca have enjoyed a 12-match unbeaten run against Espanyol in the six years since.
What's more, it's been eight years since Espanyol last defeated their rivals on home soil, with the reigning Spanish champions keeping clean sheets in each of their last three consecutive trips to Estadi Cornella-El Prat.
Barca fans will welcome the January fixture, too, after Turkish Football reported it will bring about the long-awaited debut of Arda Turan, signed from Atletico in the summer but prevented from registering until January:
"Arda Turan set to make Barcelona debut against rivals Espanyol https://t.co/p3EO7tVy4R pic.twitter.com/FeYEhlRYHc
— Turkish-Football.com (@Turkish_Futbol) December 20, 2015"
Constantin Galca has endured a rocky start to life at the Espanyol helm since taking over from Sergio last month, winning one and losing one of his two league fixtures as manager thus far.
Barca are in entirely better shape after claiming the 2015 Club World Cup in December, and Wednesday's 4-0 win over Real Betis was a message to Espanyol, who stand little chance of clinching a result on Saturday.
Prediction: Espanyol 0-3 Barcelona
Malaga Hold Celta as Comeback Continues
Having failed to put together two successive wins in the first 14 weeks of the season, Malaga are now unbeaten in five matches and have won their last three on the bounce.
The most notable of those victories came against Atletico Madrid, and David Cartlidge of beIN Sports piled praise on the club for their performance in the 1-0 win:
Javi Gracia's side play host to Celta Vigo on Saturday, and the travelling outfit are coming off the back of a 1-0 defeat at Athletic Bilbao's hands, putting their top-four future in serious jeopardy.
Eduardo Berizzo's men are undoubtedly suffering from the absence of sidelined winger Nolito.
The Anchovies are up to 13th in the standings thanks to their recent run of good form and could make the move up to mid-table depending on the weekend's other results.
Celta are desperate to get back into winning form following their defeat at home to Athletic, but Malaga are hitting their stride at just the right moment, while Berizzo's side enter this clash in a slump.
Prediction: Malaga 2-1 Celta Vigo
