La Liga Fixtures 2016 Week 23: Schedule, Live Stream Info, Picks and Key Players
Barcelona head into Week 23 of the La Liga season seeking to improve their comfortable position at the top of the table, as they make the trip to rock-bottom Levante on Sunday.
The Blaugrana are three points clear of second-placed Atletico Madrid with a game in hand after the top two went head-to-head at the Camp Nou last time out; goals from Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez gave the home side a vital win.
This weekend, Atletico host an impressive Eibar side, while third place Real Madrid make the trip to Granada.
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Here is the full fixture list for the upcoming weekend, where you can catch streams of the games, and a look at some of the players who are likely to be decisive for their respective sides in them.
| Friday, Feb. 5 | 7:30 p.m. | Malaga vs. Getafe | 2-1 |
| Saturday, Feb. 6 | 3 p.m. | Atletico Madrid vs. Eibar | 2-0 |
| Saturday, Feb. 6 | 5:15 p.m. | Rayo Vallecano vs. Las Palmas | 2-1 |
| Saturday, Feb. 6 | 7:30 p.m | Athletic Club vs. Villarreal | 2-1 |
| Saturday, Feb. 6 | 9:05 p.m. | Sporting Gijon vs. Deportivo La Coruna | 1-2 |
| Sunday, Feb. 7 | 11 a.m. | Levante vs. Barcelona | 0-4 |
| Sunday, Feb. 7 | 3 p.m. | Real Betis vs. Valencia | 1-1 |
| Sunday, Feb. 7 | 5:15 p.m. | Celta Vigo vs. Sevilla | 2-1 |
| Sunday, Feb. 7 | 7:30 p.m. | Granada vs. Real Madrid | 0-3 |
| Monday, Feb. 8 | 7:30 p.m. | Espanyol vs. Real Sociedad | 2-2 |
All matches can be streamed via Sky Go (UK) and beIN Sports Connect (US)
Luis Suarez, Barcelona
Suarez is in the form of his life at the moment, taking Barcelona’s attacking football to new heights with his showings this term.
From the word go, the Uruguayan has been sensational. Suarez is always in the game, whether it’s closing down defenders, making runs into channels or dropping deep to link the play.
For this Barcelona team—which plays careful, meticulous football in the main—his raw playing style is perfect for leading the line.
Of course, his goalscoring has been magnificent too. As we can see here courtesy of Squawka Football, the 29-year-old has been tearing defences to pieces recently:
So as Barcelona gear up to face lowly Levante, you wonder what kind of damage Suarez, Messi and Neymar can do.
The hosts are rooted to the bottom of La Liga having won just four games all season. Granted, two of those triumphs have come in their last four games, but going up against his Barcelona side in this form is a daunting task, especially when you consider how poor they’ve been defensively throughout the season.
Spanish football expert Sergi Dominguez noted that the attackers in this Barcelona XI are playing with a wonderful freedom at the moment:
Expect Suarez to continue enjoying his football and, supplemented by the attacking talents of his fellow forwards, notch a couple more goals this weekend.
If the Uruguayan can keep this kind of form up, he’ll have to be considered alongside Messi, Neymar and Real Madrid man Cristiano Ronaldo as one of the best players in the world.
James Rodriguez, Real Madrid
The injury to Gareth Bale has given James Rodriguez the opportunity to win back his place in the team under new manager Zinedine Zidane, and his midfield masterclass against Espanyol in a 6-0 win last weekend was a reminder of what this footballer is capable of.
In that clash he played of the right flank, floating into dangerous positions, knitting together moves and carving out chances. It was the kind of performance we associated with the former AS Monaco man, who was relegated to the bench for Zidane’s first two games in charge.
If he can get back to the kind of form which was on show in his first term, then Los Blancos will be a much better side as a result. The Real Madrid Twitter feed posted the following to remind us what the Colombian is capable of:
Against Granada—a team who will get men behind the ball and seek to shut off spaces—the intelligence of Rodriguez will be vital.
Finding space will be tough against a packed defence, but his movement, technical quality and ingenuity in possession is what Madrid will be looking for to help prise their opponents open.
As noted by OptaJose, despite not being a regular in the first team, Rodriguez has still had an end product in the attacking third to rival any player in his position:
When Bale is fit, he’ll surely come straight back into the starting XI. It means Rodriguez is likely vying for a spot with Isco in the long term for a place in the starting lineup, and that’ll push the playmaker on to another brilliant showing at Granada.
