LaLiga Santander preview: All 4 Champions League sides in an action-packed Saturday

By LaLiga Santander

LaLiga Santander is back with a bang this weekend following the October international break with all four of Spain’s Champions League representatives in action on a blockbuster Saturday (17 October).

With continental competition coming up in the midweek after Matchday Six, LaLiga has scheduled Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Sevilla to play on Saturday in order to give these sides maximum rest time before their international clashes. Six more matches follow on Sunday, including one of the most intriguing derbies in Spanish football.

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It all gets under way on Saturday with Andalusian rivals Granada and Sevilla facing off, a clash between last season’s seventh-placed and fourth-placed sides. It promises to be competitive, just as it was last season when Julen Lopetegui’s team returned to Seville with a hard-fought 1-0 win. This match also sees Sevilla’s Carlos Fernandez return to Los Carmenes after impressing so much last season while on loan at Granada.

Next up is Celta vs Atletico Madrid, with Atletico looking to get their season back on track. Following a huge 6-1 win over Granada in their first match, they were later held to goalless draws by Huesca and Villarreal. Diego Simeone’s side will be desperate to pick up the three points in Vigo, but they’ll also know they’ve not won in the Galician city on either of their previous two visits.

On Saturday evening, Real Madrid host Cadiz in the top division for the first time since 2006. This became a classic fixture during the 1980s and it’ll bring back fond memories for many fans as it returns to our screens for the first time in over a decade. The match at the Alfredo di Stefano also promises to be a very special fixture for the Fernandez family: Alex is set to start for Cadiz while his brother Nacho could play at right-back for the reigning champions in place of the injured Dani Carvajal.

Saturday night sees Barcelona visit Getafe. The Azulones are temporarily changing their name to Fe CF – “fe” being the Spanish word for “faith” – in a gesture of solidarity with those who have suffered so much during the coronavirus pandemic. The side from the capital would love for nothing more than to mark this special occasion with a win over Barca, which would be their first since 2011.

Six more matches come on Sunday, the first of which sees Osasuna make the short trip to Ipurua to take on Eibar. These are two teams made up with the perfect mix of tough battlers and technical talents and a fascinating duel is expected in this Sunday lunchtime matchup. After that, LaLiga Santander is staying in the Basque Country for Athletic Biblao vs Levante, a match between two teams who surprisingly come into Matchday Six in the relegation zone. It’s still very early, but neither club will want to stay near the bottom for much longer.

On Sunday afternoon, there’s a Valencian Community derby as Villarreal host Valencia. This fixture always creates headlines and that’ll certainly be the case this year as the Yellow Submarine’s Dani Parejo and Francis Coquelin go up against the club they left just a couple of months ago, while new Villarreal coach Unai Emery will also be taking on his former club.

Sunday evening sees two games which could have huge implications for the relegation battle come the end of the season. Alaves will host Elche and Huesca will welcome Real Valladolid to the Pyranees region, with these four sides all currently in the bottom six along with Athletic and Levante.

Sunday night then presents a can’t-miss clash between two of LaLiga Santander’s most entertaining sides, Real Betis and Real Sociedad, at the Benito Villamarin. These are two of the most exciting teams in the division, boasting two of the most talented squads outside of the Champions League clubs, and two World Cup winners – Betis’ Nabil Fekir and La Real’s David Silva will be pulling the strings.

All in all, it promises to be an action-packed weekend of football from start to finish, the perfect way to return from this month’s international break.

Watch LaLiga Santander live this weekend on your local broadcasters.