LaLiga preview: Race for Champions League qualification heats up
THERE is LaLiga Santander action this midweek, as Matchday 31 is taking place across Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
With just eight rounds remaining, every point is so precious and there is so much still to play for, especially in terms of European qualification and the relegation battle.
The round commences on Tuesday, with two fixtures taking place at the same time and with Real Madrid participating in one of these early kick-offs as they visit Girona.
These teams have met just five times before in LaLiga Santander and their head-to-head record is completely even, with two victories each and one draw. Los Blancos will hope to take the lead in the series this Tuesday, travelling north with players such as Marco Asensio, Eduardo Camavinga and Rodrygo in red hot form.
The other fixture at that same early time slot on Tuesday is on the opposite corner of the Iberian Peninsula, where Cádiz will host Osasuna.
After losing two home games in a row, and with Cádiz just two points above the relegation zone, Los Amarillos will go all out for the three points in this one.
Then there is a massively important fixture in the race for Champions League qualification: Real Betis vs Real Sociedad, a duel between the sides currently in fifth place and fourth place.
The gap is at six points right now, meaning that Los Verdiblancos will be desperate for a victory against their direct rivals for a top four finish. Meanwhile, Imanol Alguacil will travel south with his La Real squad aware that a win could extend the gap to nine points. The stakes could hardly be higher.
On Wednesday, Madrid becomes the focal point of the LaLiga Santander action as three of the evening’s four fixtures are taking place in the capital.
That’s the case when Atlético Madrid face Mallorca and when Getafe take on Almería at the same time. In the first, Diego Simeone’s side will look to start a new winning run after suffering a rare defeat on Sunday.
With the second of these fixtures, it’s all about fighting for survival as Getafe are currently 16th on 31 points while Almería are 17th on 30 points. Therefore, this match could ultimately end up being decisive in the relegation battle.
Later on Wednesday night, Rayo Vallecano welcome Barcelona to Vallecas and they do so with an excellent recent record against the Blaugrana.
These two clubs’ past three meetings have seen Andoni Iraola’s side win 1-0 twice and also draw 0-0 at the very beginning of this season. The fans in Vallecas will relish the chance to try to keep up that good run of results.
Meanwhile, Celta Vigo vs Elche also takes place on Wednesday night and the Galician club will view that as a good opportunity to return to winning ways, following a frustrating four-match winless run since the March international break.
On Thursday, the action moves to the Valencian Community as Valencia vs Real Valladolid and Villarreal vs Espanyol both take place at the same time.
All except Villarreal are currently at the heart of the relegation battle, so there could be significant movement in the standings over the course of those 90 minutes. The fans involved will be focused on their own team’s game but also keeping one eye on the other scoreline, meaning this could be a dramatic Thursday evening.
The midweek matchday then concludes in Bilbao later on Thursday night, as Athletic Bilbao and Sevilla meet at San Mamés.
These are the two most in-form sides in all of LaLiga Santander right now, having taken 10 points each from their past four matches, while this is also a duel between two coaches who know each other so well, in Ernesto Valverde and José Luis Mendilibar. That means it’s set up to be a competitive and interesting contest.
Watch LaLiga Santander live this midweek on your local broadcasters.
