Ultimate Guide to La Liga Weekend: Bale's Return and No Room for Atletico Errors
Barcelona's tough run of games is fast coming up. Saturday should bring a routine home three points against a woeful Getafe side, and Luis Enrique must privately suspect that even if he put himself into the starting XI, Barca would still cruise to victory.
It's a gimme, but the last one before the sequence of games—Villarreal, Real Madrid, Real Sociedad and Valencia—that will determine whether Barcelona cruise to retaining the title or have to fend off Atletico Madrid up to the last day of the season.
Meanwhile, Atleti have to keep doing what they have been: winning their own games and biding their time until Barcelona's tough run begins. Then hope.
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In the meantime, they find themselves left with no room for mistakes whatsoever; every game from this point must bring three points, at the expense of style if necessary but certainly with risk-taking. Last time out at Valencia, they gambled on taking three points and deservedly got them.
This time, it's the same—and against a side they have already slipped up against once.
Deportivo La Coruna are another out-of-form side, without a win in 14 matches in all competitions, but Atleti cannot take them for granted. Earlier in the season, Atletico were strolling toward one of their patented 1-0 wins at Riazor, but a slip 15 minutes from time from defender Jose Gimenez allowed Lucas Perez to nip in, round the 'keeper, score and steal a point for Depor.
The same again at this stage of the season would effectively end the title race, especially if Barcelona record the expected heavy victory against Getafe, and it would also relieve the pressure off the Catalans heading into their big run.
Jornada 29
Friday
Malaga vs. Sporting Gijon
Saturday
Barcelona vs. Getafe
Celta Vigo vs. Real Sociedad
Atletico Madrid vs. Deportivo La Coruna
Rayo Vallecano vs. Eibar
Sunday
Levante vs. Valencia
Sevilla vs. Villarreal
Athletic Bilbao vs. Real Betis
Las Palmas vs. Real Madrid
Monday
Granada vs. Espanyol
What to Watch Out for This Weekend
Part 1: Levante Being Cut Adrift
It looks like it could finally happen: the first side to be a full two victories from safety at the bottom as games run out and the relegation battle warms up.
Levante face a difficult derby game at home to Valencia on Sunday, while Granada will hope they can take points at home to Espanyol on Monday and Rayo Vallecano have the chance at home against a woefully out-of-form Eibar. If Rayo and Granada win, it'll be six points from bottom club Levante to 17th place, likely occupied by Getafe at that juncture.
It would effectively be seven points to safety—Getafe and Levante both won 3-0 against each other at home, negating head-to-head, but Levante have a worse goal difference at present.
Three will go down, and it looks very much like three from five, with everyone from Las Palmas in 15th upward having either put together a few wins on the spin or looking strong enough to survive being in the battle in the final few weeks.
Levante have scored the fewest goals and conceded the fourth-most—it's not a tremendous combination.
Part 2: Last Chance to Change Top 4
An intriguing match on Sunday sees perhaps the final fixture that could alter the makeup of the Champions League spots, with Sevilla hosting Villarreal.
The Yellow Submarine looked an absolute lock to take fourth place after a great run of form in 2016, but just one win in the last four in La Liga has seen the gap between them and Sevilla close to eight points. It's still a big gap, but it could be shortened to five if Unai Emery's men come up with a positive result this time out.
Sevilla still haven't won away this season, so their home form has to be immaculate from here on in—which means they ideally need to better the 2-1 defeat Villarreal inflicted on them in October to give them an edge in head-to-head. Any kind of three points for the Andalusians, by any scoreline, keeps the chase for fourth interesting as we head into the final nine games of the season.
A Villarreal win, though, and it's all over.
Villarreal fell away last season as Marcelino chased the cups and rotated his league side heavily. They're in danger of doing the same this season.
Player to Watch: Gareth Bale
Back to fitness and looking as though he's ready to make a big immediate impact, Gareth Bale brings a different dynamic to the Real Madrid side when in full flow.
His cameo appearance off the bench against Celta Vigo on Saturday yielded a few strong runs and a goal taken from range to showcase he is over his calf problems, while Bale played an hour in the Champions League win over AS Roma on Tuesday.
Putting him straight back into the starting XI is almost a given for Zinedine Zidane; Lucas Vazquez and Borja Mayoral have started the last two Liga matches, and although they have their uses and could improve further, Bale is obviously several steps up in quality.
The Welshman could play up front in a 4-3-3 or as a winger in a 4-4-2, giving the manager the chance to rotate his team and alter his tactics as needed—an important aspect to finding the optimum balance in the side as they chase silverware in Europe this season.
Game of the Weekend: Athletic Bilbao vs. Real Betis
Sevilla vs. Villarreal could be a good game, but with both sides preferring to counter and stay tight defensively given the choice, it could also descend into a close-fought fixture with few chances and tactical discipline being the biggest factor.
Instead, look to the Basque country and San Mames for an exciting matchup, with Athletic Bilbao hosting in-form Real Betis.
Athletic are going hell for leather in chasing down a European spot for next season—they're up to sixth now and ideally placed to capitalise if Sevilla slip up against better opposition. Three wins in a row have made them favourites for a Europa League spot for next term, and they are still in the hunt for more silverware this season too.
Betis have been superb of late under caretaker boss Juan Merino, winning twice last week, and they are unbeaten in six. They attack constantly down the channels, they have pace and guile to go with the improbably consistent goalscoring form of Ruben Castro and are just an extremely entertaining watch.
It should be a cracker and could easily see three or four goals fly in.
Predictions and Tips
- Home wins for Malaga, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Athletic.
- Away wins for Valencia, Villarreal and Real Madrid.
- Both to score in CEL-RSO, SEV-VIL, ATH-BET.
