Saturday 12 / April / 2025
MADRID: Matchday 31 in La Liga comes in the middle of the Champions League quarterfinals, which will have a major impact on Real Madrid and FC Barcelona and maybe offer Atletico Madrid a way back into the title race.
1. Barca to make changes in Leganes but feel-good factor riding high
FC Barcelona produced a magnificent display to win 4-0 at home to Borussia Dortmund in their Champions League quarterfinal first leg on Wednesday, and although there are less than 72 hours between the end of that game and kick-off in Leganes , Barca is clearly on a high.
Saturday will be the team's sixth game since March 27, with the fixture list giving no let-up, but Wednesday's score should give Barca an easier task next week, while coach Hansi Flick can bring in players such as Gavi, Eric Garcia, Ronald Araujo, Ferran Torres and Gerard Martin for the visit to the south of Madrid.
Leganes produced one of the shocks of the season with a win in Montjuic before Christmas, but this time Barca is in top form.
2. Real Madrid can't be distracted by Champions League
Real Madrid travels to play Alaves after a dreadful week that saw a home defeat in La Liga followed by a 3-0 defeat away to Arsenal in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal.
The press campaign for Madrid to overturn that defeat has already started, but the match in Vitoria comes first and anything other than a win against a rival battling for survival almost certainly ends the club's La Liga hopes.
Carlo Ancelotti will make changes to his side, with Arda Guler, Brahim Diaz and Fran Garcia all likely to start, while Alaves is without the suspended quartet of Jon Guridi, Antonio Sivera, Tomas Conechny and Nahuel Tenaglia, but will look to trouble a Madrid side that can't be distracted by next week's European tie.
3. Atletico scents a lifeline
Pablo Barrios' injury-time goal away to Sevilla last weekend gave Atletico Madrid a win the team barely deserved, but after both Barca and Real Madrid dropped points, it reignited a slim title chance.
Atletico is at home to Real Valladolid on Monday night, by which time the two sides above them in the table will have played and the task will be clearer.
Nevertheless, Valladolid offers a perfect chance for three points, given that Atletico's rival is bottom of the table and seemingly doomed to relegation. Meanwhile, players Juanma Latasa and Lucas Perez both apologized after they had to be separated following a bust-up in the dugout during last Sunday's 4-0 defeat at home to Getafe, which is hardly the best preparation for a visit to the Metropolitano Stadium.
4. Big game for Europe as Betis face Villarreal
The race for a place in next season's Champions League hots up as sixth-placed Real Betis is at home to fifth-placed Villarreal with the two sides level on points.
The match in the Benito Villamarin Stadium will pit together two sides who have a lot of pace in attack, and it could be the match to watch this weekend.
With fifth spot in La Liga almost certainly earning a place in next season's Champions League, Athletic Bilbao, which currently sits fourth, will also look at this game with interest, as one of its rivals is certain to drop points.
