LALIGA EA SPORTS is back this weekend, following the March international break. The Matchday 30 action kicks off with a critical game in the relegation battle on Friday night, as Cádiz CF host Granada CF. These two Andalusian sides are currently 18th and 19th respectively, and seeking every possible point, while in the case of Granada CF this match will be the re-debut for José Ramón Sandoval, after he returned to the club's dugout.
Sevilla FC are another Andalusian side at risk of relegation, so Los Nervionenses will give their all when they pay Getafe CF a visit in the first fixture of Saturday. They did win at the Coliseum in the Copa del Rey earlier this season, so will travel to the capital with confidence.
UD Almería vs CA Osasuna follows and the home side will be looking to build on their Matchday 29 result, when they won away at UD Las Palmas for their first win of this league season. They'd now love to put together another victory in front of their home fans at the Power Horse Stadium.
Valencia CF and RCD Mallorca meet in the following game and Los Che know they could move into seventh place with a win. Having gone undefeated across their past 10 home games in LALIGA EA SPORTS, with six wins and four draws, Mestalla should be rocking once again.
The Saturday night game pits FC Barcelona against UD Las Palmas, which should be a very interesting game on a tactical level. The Canary Islanders' coach, García Pimienta, used to work in the FC Barcelona academy and is a proponent of possession football, with his team sitting second, right behind Barça, in the LALIGA EA SPORTS possession rankings. It was a close affair when they met earlier in the season, when the Catalan side snatched a 2-1 victory thanks to a stoppage time İlkay Gündoğan penalty, and it promises to be an even battle once more.
There will be four more fixtures on Sunday, starting with 17th-placed RC Celta vs 15th-placed Rayo Vallecano. Although both these teams won last matchday, they are still looking over their shoulders at the relegation zone and keen to put more points on the board.
Girona FC are in action next and have a tough fixture against Real Betis at the Estadi Montilivi. The Catalan outfit have slipped down to third in the table and are now just seven points ahead of fifth place. Míchel and his squad won't want to fall out of the top four and miss this historic opportunity to qualify for the Champions League for the first time ever, so will look to put in a top-level performance against Los Verdiblancos.
There is a Basque derby later on Sunday afternoon, when Deportivo Alavés and Real Sociedad face off in Vitoria-Gasteiz. It was a 1-1 draw when they met earlier this campaign, as Martín Zubimendi scored a 96th minute equaliser. There should be more drama to enjoy at the Mendizorroza this Sunday.
The Sunday night match this weekend is Real Madrid vs Athletic Club, a duel between the leaders and the team currently sitting in fourth place. Real Madrid won 2-0 when these sides met on the opening weekend of the season, but Athletic Club have improved a lot since then and are enjoying one of their best seasons of the 21st century. These are the two best defences in the competition, so it promises to be an intriguing duel at the Bernabéu.
The team chasing Athletic Club for fourth place is Atlético de Madrid, and Diego Simeone's outfit will be in action in the Monday night game, when they visit Villarreal CF. This has been a tricky fixture for Atleti over the years, as Simeone has only won three out of his 11 visits to the Estadio de la Cerámica as a coach. This next Villarreal CF vs Atlético de Madrid game should, therefore, be a tight and thrilling match-up, and the perfect way to conclude Matchday 30.
