La Liga Fixtures 2016 Week 35: Schedule, Live Stream Info, Picks and Key Players
Barcelona are aiming to re-establish some daylight at La Liga's summit in Week 35 as they welcome relegation-threatened Sporting Gijon to the Camp Nou on Saturday level on points with Atletico Madrid.
Manager Luis Enrique's men thumped Deportivo La Coruna 8-0 on Wednesday night as they bounced back into form, but that old adage about every match now being a final rings true now more than ever for the Catalan giants.
Los Rojiblancos could be one of three La Liga leaders on Saturday as they host Malaga, while third-placed Real Madrid—just a point off the lead—could hop into pole position when they travel to Rayo Vallecano in the early kick-off.
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We provide a detailed rundown of the Week 35 schedule and live stream information to make sure you don't miss out on the Spanish action, complete with predictions and a look at key players bearing a big burden this weekend.
| Friday, April 22 | 8 p.m. GMT/3 p.m. ET | Las Palmas | 2-1 | Espanyol |
| Saturday, April 23 | 3 p.m. / 10 a.m. | Rayo Vallecano | 0-4 | Real Madrid |
| Saturday, April 23 | 5:15 p.m. / 12:15 p.m. | Atletico Madrid | 2-0 | Malaga |
| Saturday, April 23 | 7:30 p.m. / 2:30 p.m. | Barcelona | 4-0 | Sporting Gijon |
| Saturday, April 23 | 9:05 p.m. / 4:05 p.m. | Eibar | 2-1 | Deportivo La Coruna |
| Sunday, April 24 | 11 a.m. / 6 a.m. | Levante | 1-1 | Athletic Bilbao |
| Sunday, April 24 | 3 p.m. / 10 a.m. | Sevilla | 3-1 | Real Betis |
| Sunday, April 24 | 5:15 p.m. / 12:15 p.m. | Getafe | 2-2 | Valencia |
| Sunday, April 24 | 7:30 p.m. / 2:30 p.m. | Villarreal | 1-0 | Real Sociedad |
| Monday, April 25 | 7:30 p.m. / 2:30 p.m. | Celta Vigo | 3-1 | Granada |
All matches can be streamed live via Sky Go (UK) and FuboTV (US) or beIN Sports Connect (US).
Karim Benzema, Real Madrid
Although the France striker suffered a major blow in learning he won't be travelling to Euro 2016, Karim Benzema will have full license to take out his frustrations while on Real Madrid duty in the weeks to come.
Los Blancos' frontman illustrated his importance to the team by scoring one goal and assisting another in Wednesday's 3-0 win over Villarreal on Wednesday. After that result, manager Zinedine Zidane detailed how "important" Benzema is in his system, per Goal's Dejan Kalinic:
"He is a very important player, perhaps he is more important than ever. He does an excellent job. He scores, assists, and helps everyone play better. The forwards are doing a fantastic job, as are the midfielders and defenders. They all did very well, including those who came off the bench.
"
Benzema's 41st-minute opener against the Yellow Submarine was his 23rd goal of the campaign.
Between injuries and off-field troubles, it's been a tumultuous campaign for the Frenchman, and ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan further illustrated how Real can struggle without his talents up front:
Real's strike force operates better when complete with Benzema, and he'll look to maintain his stride against Rayo Vallecano, who have the worst defence in La Liga after conceding 66 goals in 34 games.
Los Merengues sealed a 10-2 win over Rayo when these teams last met in December, per Betting Expert, where Benzema bagged a hat-trick and will be on the prowl to dish serious damage to the same opposition.
Augusto Fernandez, Atletico Madrid
There are few players in La Liga who have had as great an impact in recent months as Augusto Fernandez, the midfield anchor manager Diego Simeone acquired from Celta Vigo in January who looks more of a bargain by the game.
While the likes of Koke and Saul Niguez possess the creative juices needed to give Los Rojiblancos the few, clean scoring opportunities they look forward to each game, Fernandez is the glue in midfield.
Atleti host Malaga on Saturday hoping to bag a fifth win in succession and move above Barca into first, where the Argentinian will once again be crucial in the engine room. Earlier this season, Yahoo's Andrew Gaffney highlighted just how good his acquisition looks in hindsight:
If Fernandez gets the nod to start against Malaga, he'll once again be the linchpin guarding the back four as Atletico look to claim a 22nd clean sheet of their league campaign.
Per WhoScored.com, the South American boasts a pass accuracy of 84 percent, second only to Tiago among regular starters, as well as completing 2.2 dribbles on average per game, more than any other player in the team.
