FC Barcelona return to the Spotify Camp Nou this weekend, with a tough game against Athletic Club.
LaLiga EA returns this Friday, and it does so with a bang! Following the international break, there is a Valencian Derby at Mestalla on Friday night, the first meeting between Valencia CF and Levante UD in over three and a half years. With Los Granotes back in the top tier, football fans in the city can enjoy this derby once more and it’ll be an extra important game since both clubs find themselves inside the bottom four.
There are many other big games coming up in Matchday 13, several of them on Saturday. The first of Saturday’s fixtures is Deportivo Alavés v RC Celta, a clash between two mid-table teams on 15 and 13 points respectively. Given their close positions in the standings, this promises to be a competitive game.
At 4:15pm CET on Saturday, all eyes will be on the Spotify Camp Nou as FC Barcelona make their long-awaited return to their historic home. The Catalan club have been renovating their stadium, and that work continues, but they can now return to play their first game there since May of 2023. Athletic Club are the opponents, so it won’t be easy for Hansi Flick as he coaches his first game in the home dugout of the Spotify Camp Nou.
While not technically a regional derby, CA Osasuna v Real Sociedad is another fixture between two clubs located very close together. Just 60 kilometres separate the cities of Pamplona and San Sebastián, so this promises to be another game with a vibrant atmosphere.
The final game on Saturday is taking place at the Estadio de la Cerámica, where Villarreal CF host RCD Mallorca. With Marcelino’s side still standing tall in third place, this is a great opportunity to continue with their momentum, following three victories in a row before the international break.
Four more matches follow on Sunday, starting with Real Oviedo v Rayo Vallecano. With the Asturian side sitting bottom of the table and winless in five matchdays, this has become a huge game for the club and the Estadio Carlos Tartiere should be rocking.
The action then moves to Seville, where Real Betis v Girona FC takes centre stage at the Estadio de la Cartuja. It’s a battle between one team just inside the European qualification positions and another just inside the relegation zone, but Girona FC won in the most recent matchday and will travel south with confidence.
There’s then another Matchday 13 derby, this time in Spain’s capital as Getafe CF welcome Atlético de Madrid to the Coliseum. Los Azulones won this fixture 2-1 last season with a stoppage-time goal from Mauro Arambarri, which was their first ever win against Atleti in the Diego Simeone era. The Argentinian coach will hope for a much more positive result this time around.
Real Madrid are in action in the 9pm CET game on Sunday, when they travel east to play Elche CF on the road. The newly promoted side sit comfortably in mid-table and haven’t lost a home game yet this term. So, Xabi Alonso’s side will have to be at their best if they want to take all three points away from the Estadio MartÃnez Valero.
The Monday night game brings LaLiga EA back to Barcelona, where RCD Espanyol take on Sevilla FC. Los Pericos haven’t defeated the Andalusian side since 2017, so will hope to finally enjoy a win against Los Rojiblancos once again, especially with RCD Espanyol fighting for European qualification this season.