(Football news) Everything starts at El Sadar, where CA Osasuna will be aware that a win over Real Sociedad would put them within striking distance of the final slot for European qualification. The Navarre team is aiming to qualify for European competition next season. They would prefer to do so by winning the Copa del Rey, but they also have the players to do so thanks to Moi Gómez, Pablo Ibáez, and Ante Budimir, who are all in excellent form.
The first of Saturday’s three games takes place in the middle of the day as Rayo Vallecano travels to face bottom-placed Elche CF after overcoming Barça in midweek. Although Andoni Iraola’s team is also aspiring to play in Europe, they will need to improve their road performance as they have lost their last five road games.
Both Real Madrid and FC Barcelona play at home against Andalusian opposition on Saturday night. They’ll be looking to rebound after Tuesday’s 4-2 loss to Girona FC for Los Blancos and Wednesday’s 2-1 defeat for Los Azulgranas at Rayo Vallecano.
Real Madrid will play first as they welcome UD Almera to the Bernabéu. Carlo Ancelotti’s team will need to be cautious because Rubi’s club just earned their first away victory of the year midweek, and in the nation’s capital no less. In their previous meeting on Matchday 1, Real Madrid defeated UD Almera by a score of 2-1, so this could be another close game.
Then, FC Barcelona hosts Real Betis at the Spotify Camp Nou. Real Betis needs the win as well if they hope to qualify for the Champions League. These teams have already faced off twice this season, and both meetings were extremely close. Barça prevailed 2-1 on the road earlier in this LaLiga Santander season, and the Catalan team prevailed in a penalty shootout following a 2-2 draw when they met in the Spanish Super Cup semifinals.
The opening matchup on Sunday between Cádiz CF and Valencia CF is crucial in the fight against relegation. Both clubs will play with intensity as they struggle to prevent the slide. With a 1-0 victory over Los Che at Mestalla earlier this league season thanks to a goal from Rubén Alcaraz, Cádiz CF will try to make it two wins in a row.
Next up is Villarreal CF vs. RC Celta, a match between two teams that aim to play appealing football and two sides that include some of the best Spanish young players around, like Yéremy Pino, Lex Baena, Fran Beltrán, and Gabri Veiga.
Another six-point game for relegation will follow when RCD Espanyol plays Getafe CF in Barcelona. Getafe CF will travel just days after Quique Sánchez Flores was fired due to a string of unsuccessful matches, while Luis Garca Fernández has only been in charge of Los Pericos for four games. These two clubs are fighting tooth and nail for the three points, which should make for an exciting game.
Atlético de Madrid travels quickly to Real Valladolid for the Sunday night games, and Diego Simeone’s team is still performing well. Los Colchoneros have won seven of their last eight games despite losing to FC Barcelona last weekend. They rebounded with a convincing 3-1 victory over RCD Mallorca in the middle of the week. In their first trip to the Estadio José Zorrilla since taking home the league championship there at the conclusion of 2020–21, they’ll try to make it eight wins in a row.
There are two games for fans to enjoy on Monday because it is a holiday in Spain. The first one is RCD Mallorca vs. Athletic Club. It will be an exciting tactical battle on the island because these are two of the best-coached teams in the division thanks to the efforts of Javier Aguirre and Ernesto Valverde.
The last match of Matchday 32 features Sevilla FC taking on Girona FC, two teams that have been playing well lately. Both teams are likely to play with an attacking mindset, thus this LaLiga Santander matchday could end with something of a goal fest.
Saturday, 29th April, 12:30 a.m., Osasuna vs Real Sociedad
Saturday, 29th April, 7:45 p.m., Elche vs Rayo Vallecano
Saturday, 29th April, 10:00 p.m., Real Madrid vs Almería
Sunday, 30th April, 12:30 a.m., Barcelona vs Real Betis
Sunday, 30th April, 5:30 p.m., Cadiz vs Valencia
Sunday, 30th April, 7:45 p.m., Villarreal vs Celta Vigo
Sunday, 30th April, 10:00 p.m., Espanyol vs Getafe
Monday, 1st May, 12:30 a.m., Valladolid vs Atletico Madrid
Monday, 1st May, 10:30 p.m., Mallorca vs Athletic Club
Tuesday, 2nd May, 10:30 p.m., Sevilla vs Girona
Also read: Could Luka Modric’s injury be a blessing in disguise for Real Madrid?
