La Liga Fixtures 2016 Week 11: Schedule, Live-Stream Info, Picks and Key Players
Barcelona face a difficult trip to in-form Sevilla in La Liga on Sunday, representing the marquee matchup of the Week 11 fixture list.
The Catalans lost in the UEFA Champions League against Manchester City on Tuesday and will have to rebound quickly against a Sevilla squad with a superb home record.
League leaders Real Madrid play host to Leganes on Sunday, and Atletico Madrid face a tricky trip to the Basque Country on Saturday to take on Real Sociedad.
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Here's a look at the Week 11 schedule, complete with live-stream info and picks:
| Friday, Nov. 4 | Malaga | Sporting Gijon | Sky Go, beIN Sports Connect | Malaga |
| Saturday, Nov. 5 | Granada | Deportivo | Sky Go, beIN Sports Connect | Draw |
| Saturday, Nov. 5 | Real Sociedad | Atletico Madrid | beIN Sports Connect | Draw |
| Saturday, Nov. 5 | Osasuna | Alaves | Sky Go, beIN Sports Connect | Osasuna |
| Saturday, Nov. 5 | Las Palmas | Eibar | Sky Go | Las Palmas |
| Sunday, Nov. 6 | Real Madrid | Leganes | Sky Go, beIN Sports Connect | Real |
| Sunday, Nov. 6 | Celta Vigo | Valencia | Sky Go, beIN Sports Connect | Vigo |
| Sunday, Nov. 6 | Espanyol | Athletic Bilbao | Sky Go, beIN Sports Connect | Athletic |
| Sunday, Nov. 6 | Villarreal | Real Betis | Sky Go, beIN Sports Connect | Villarreal |
| Sunday, Nov. 6 | Sevilla | Barcelona | Sky Go, beIN Sports Connect | Draw |
Here's a look at some key players for Week 11.
Barcelona: Rafinha
While it would be wrong to suggest the absence of Andres Iniesta was to blame for Barcelona's loss at the Etihad Stadium―the Citizens outplayed the Catalans and deserved the win―it was evident they missed the Spaniard's creative touches and ability to pace the midfield.
Most pundits and fans agreed Iniesta's unavailability was a major factor, and Sport did some digging to find it wasn't just a one-time thing:
Replacement Andre Gomes was solid in Manchester but failed to replicate Iniesta's usual contributions in the attacking third. While the Portuguese could stay in the team for the match against Sevilla, the in-form Rafinha seems a more likely candidate to earn a start.
The Brazilian scored the only goal in Barcelona's win over Granada in their most recent league outing and has already bagged five goals in La Liga this season, which is a superb return. He also looked lively in a brief cameo against City, flashing his raw speed and smart running in support of the forwards.
Barcelona's injury crisis in defence could see manager Luis Enrique opt for a more defensively sound midfielder such as Gomes or Arda Turan, but against Sevilla's tough back line, the added creativity and production the Brazilian brings could be valuable.
Per Sport, Enrique knows the midfielder has made quite the leap this season, saying of him after the Granada match: "It doesn't surprise me. We have a three up front who give us a lot, but the interiors need to be capable of arriving in the box, and it's a joy when they can do it."
Sevilla's record at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan is exceptionally good—they have won all five of their league matches there this term and are unbeaten at home in La Liga since April—and they've only conceded 13 goals in La Liga so far. If Barcelona want to grab a win, they might have to rely on the added creativity of Rafinha over more defensive stability.
Atletico Madrid: Diego Godin
Atletico's main strength this season―and in seasons past―has been their terrific defence, led by Diego Godin and Stefan Savic in recent weeks. The latter was sent off in the win over Malaga, so manager Diego Simeone will have some decisions to make.
Savic originally replaced Jose Gimenez in the starting XI after the Uruguayan suffered an injury in September, but he didn't even make the bench for the Champions League game against FC Rostov on Tuesday. It's unclear whether he's back to full health, but he won't have any match rhythm and wasn't having a great start to the season when he got hurt in the first place.
The other option is star prospect Lucas Hernandez, who has featured in just three Liga matches this season, starting one. The 20-year-old is an exceptional talent, but it'd still be a big risk sending him out in a key match.
La Real may be inconsistent, but they've scored five goals in their last two matches and have impressed in attack. More importantly, the match will be played at Anoeta, where La Liga's top clubs have suffered several shock losses in the last couple of years.
Barcelona couldn't get past La Real in San Sebastian last season, and several outlets, including Football Espana, have dubbed it the "curse of Anoeta."
Real Madrid lost at Anoeta by a score of 4-2 in 2014 despite taking a two-goal lead.
A win in San Sebastian would be a major boost for Atletico's title challenge, and while Antoine Griezmann has found success against his former club over recent years and Yannick Carrasco is in superb form, it will be the defence that has to be on point for the Rojiblancos to grab three points.
With Savic sidelined, it will be up to Godin to steer his partner in he centre, whether it's the inexperienced Hernandez or the out-of-form Gimenez.
