La Liga Fixtures 2016 Week 15: Schedule, Live-Stream Info, Picks and Key Players
Barcelona will have the chance to temporarily close the six-point gap that separates them from La Liga leaders Real Madrid on Saturday, when they travel to basement outfit Osasuna.
The trip presents the ideal opportunity for manager Luis Enrique's men to rebuild morale after drawing their last two league outings against Real Sociedad and Los Blancos.
Whatever happens in the Blaugrana's trip to Pamplona, Real can reclaim their six-point cushion when they welcome Deportivo La Coruna to the Santiago Bernabeu in Saturday's evening fixture.
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Atletico Madrid will have to wait until Monday night for their clash against Villarreal at El Madrigal, while on Sunday, ninth-placed Celta Vigo will hope to down third-placed Sevilla, who have won just two away matches this term.
Read on as we profile some of the biggest players to watch out for in Week 15 of the 2016-17 Liga season, complete with match predictions and live-stream information.
| Friday, Dec. 9 | 7:45 p.m. GMT/2:45 p.m. ET | Malaga | Granada | Sky Go (UK)/ BeIN Sports Connect, fubo TV (U.S.) | Malaga |
| Saturday, Dec. 10 | 12 p.m. GMT/7 a.m. ET | Osasuna | Barcelona | Sky Go (UK)/ BeIN Sports Connect, fubo TV (U.S.) | Barcelona |
| Saturday, Dec. 10 | 3:15 p.m. GMT/10:15 a.m. ET | Real Sociedad | Valencia | Sky Go (UK)/ BeIN Sports Connect, fubo TV (U.S.) | Real Sociedad |
| Saturday, Dec. 10 | 5:30 p.m. GMT/12:30 p.m. ET | Las Palmas | Leganes | Sky Go (UK)/ BeIN Sports Connect, fubo TV (U.S.) | Las Palmas |
| Saturday, Dec. 10 | 7:45 p.m. GMT/2:45 p.m. ET | Real Madrid | Deportivo La Coruna | Sky Go (UK)/ BeIN Sports Connect, fubo TV (U.S.) | Real Madrid |
| Sunday, Dec. 11 | 11 a.m. GMT/6 a.m. ET | Eibar | Alaves | Sky Go (UK)/ BeIN Sports Connect, fubo TV (U.S.) | Eibar |
| Sunday, Dec. 11 | 3:15 p.m. GMT/10:15 a.m. ET | Celta Vigo | Sevilla | Sky Go (UK)/ BeIN Sports Connect, fubo TV (U.S.) | Celta Vigo |
| Sunday, Dec. 11 | 5:30 p.m. GMT/12:30 p.m. ET | Espanyol | Sporting Gijon | Sky Go (UK)/ BeIN Sports Connect, fubo TV (U.S.) | Espanyol |
| Sunday, Dec. 11 | 7:45 p.m. GMT/2:45 p.m. ET | Real Betis | Athletic Club Bilbao | Sky Go (UK)/ BeIN Sports Connect, fubo TV (U.S.) | Draw |
| Monday, Dec. 12 | 7:45 p.m. GMT/2:45 p.m. ET | Villarreal | Atletico Madrid | Sky Go (UK)/ BeIN Sports Connect, fubo TV (U.S.) | Draw |
Viewers in the United States can stream live matches via FuboTV and beIN Sports Connect, while audiences in the United Kingdom can use the Sky Go app to watch the action.
Luka Modric, Real Madrid
Real Madrid have accumulated their most commanding lead at the Liga summit for some years this season, and manager Zinedine Zidane has playmaking dynamo Luka Modric to thank for much of that rise.
The champions of Europe snatched a late 1-1 draw in last Saturday's El Clasico clash at the Camp Nou, and Squawka pointed out that it's Modric's remarkable passing record in pressure circumstances that is aiding the side:
The former Tottenham Hotspur man is enjoying the finest form of his career but could be fatigued against Deportivo La Coruna after starting Wednesday's UEFA Champions League clash against Borussia Dortmund.
Modric can look forward to Saturday if he makes his return to the starting XI, too, after Ben McAleer of WhoScored.com illustrated his best performances tend to come in domestic action:
Deportivo, who are 16th in La Liga, face an uphill struggle as they bid to pinch a result in their trip to the Bernabeu, and Modric is one of the main antagonists shaping the incline that runs against them.
The Croatia international boasts a passing percentage of 89.4 percent after eight league appearances this season, per WhoScored, and Depor, with one win in their last seven, stand to be his next victim.
Iago Aspas, Celta Vigo
It takes an awful lot for any player in Spain's top flight to match the scoring majesty of players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, but Celta Vigo star Iago Aspas is proving worthy this season.
With nine goals in 13 La Liga outings thus far, Aspas sits just one strike behind leading scorer Ronaldo, and Sky Sports presenter David Garrido recently questioned Liverpool's decision to sell the forward in 2015:
Opta analyst Jamie Kemp provided further context on Aspas' latest scoring exploits, showing just how critical the poacher has been to Celta's rise in recent months:
His side host a Sevilla team lacking in domestic form, too, after manager Jorge Sampaoli's side lost two of their last four Liga matches, the most recent of which came in their trip to Granada last Saturday.
Celta can climb as high as fifth with what would be a valuable win over their guests on Sunday, and Aspas is in line to feature as the catalyst behind any points they manage to muster.
