La Liga: Three key matches to watch this weekend
By Roy Emanuel
La Liga returns with important games in Matchweek 30.
The international break has concluded, and it is back to business for La Liga clubs this weekend. The title race has featured one steady constant, and that is FC Barcelona’s place at the top of the table.
The Blaugrana currently hold an 11-point lead on second-place Atlético Madrid, and would need several catastrophes to strike in order to miss out on their 25th top-flight triumph. However, beyond that likely occurrence for glory, there is drama throughout the first division.
Key fixtures remain that will ultimately decide European qualification, as well as the relegation battle to avoid the drop to the Segunda División. We highlight three important encounters to watch for in this round of fixtures.
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Saturday March 31 – UD Las Palmas vs. Real Madrid CF (Estadio Gran Canaria)
The title-holders may be missing out on the league title, but Real Madrid still have a clear mission ahead. Los Blancos are in good shape to secure a top-four position, and will be preparing for Juventus in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.
Manager Zinedine Zidane’s side have displayed fine form as of late, winning nine of their last ten matches across all competitions.
For Las Palmas, three points would be massive as they fight to escape the bottom three.
Saturday March 31 – Sevilla FC vs. FC Barcelona (Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán)
After early stumbles, Sevilla look to secure a European spot with a much anticipated clash against Barcelona. Both sides must also balance Champions League play, which should make for intriguing selections in each line-up.
Barca’s Lionel Messi sat out Argentina’s Tuesday thrashing at the hands of Spain, but reports seem to indicate that this was simply precautionary.
An important fixture in Seville may ultimately see two sides who know, and understand, that big games are right around the corner.
Sunday April 1 – Atlético Madrid vs. Deportivo de La Coruña (Wanda Metropolitano)
Los Rojiblancos and manager Diego Simeone are aware that Barcelona may be running away with La Liga, but they will continue to put the pressure on their rivals.
Antoine Griezmann and Diego Costa have been scoring goals for fun lately, and Atlético are set for the UEFA Europa League semi-finals versus Sporting CP.
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Deportivo are running out of time to earn critical points, as they sit above only bottom-of-the-table Málaga. Unfortunately, they are meeting Madrid at the wrong time to expect any positive result on Sunday.