Sevilla are looking to put pressure on Real Madrid; Barça, to beat Granada

The Andalusian team was able to take advantage of the defeat of the Madrid team at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez in Getafense to cut to five points the advantage of the leader, who has played one more match, the one he won against Athletic in San Mamés before the end of the year.

The Christmas holidays have slowed the march of Real Madrid, which began 2022 with that match lost in Getafe and with a hasty victory in Alcoy, in which two goals with some fortune by Marco Asensio and José Juan in their own goal took Carlo Ancelotti’s men out of the quagmire and prevented another cup hit.

Again with the young Brazilian extreme Vinicius Junior after overcoming the coronavirus, they will receive this Saturday at the Santiago Bernabéu a Valencia that was in a clear progression of results until it was also surprised at the Mestalla, on the 31st, by Espanyol.

For the purposes of both teams, this is an important match, in which the two contenders need to find an early reaction to the preceding setbacks. Real Madrid needs find the flow and the goal again And it is a complicated undertaking against a normally very intense rival like José Bordalás, who will try to return to the path of firmness and not make mistakes that have cost him many points this season.

It is also an important game for the white team to confidence effects before meeting Barcelona in Saudi Arabia in the semifinal of the Spanish Super Cup.

Getafe exhibits its triumph last day in the field of another great contender for the title, Sevilla, and will do so with significant casualties Regarding this meeting, such as Uruguayans Mauro Arambarri and Mathias Olivera, sanctioned for accumulating reprimands.

Julen Lopetegui’s team is the one that goes through a best streak with five games without losing. In fact, their last defeat was against Real Madrid on November 28. Despite the numerous casualties due to injury or covid-19, it is showing a superb competitive pace, but Getafe has also experienced a remarkable evolution under the baton of Quique Sánchez Flores except in the ko cupbearer.

Crashes in the high zone

And while Rayo and Betis approach in Vallecas an interesting clash between the third and sixth who appear at the start of the second round after falling in their previous commitments, Atlético de Madrid and Barcelona expose their recovery in Villarreal and Granada, respectively.

The La Cerámica meeting is a high-flying match. Villarreal, who succumbed in the Copa del Rey to a second like Sporting, are forced to turn the page as soon as possible in search of their fifth league victory in a row, and Atlético de Madrid to confirm their good start to the year.

With Gerard Moreno on a roll, the yellow submarine, which has not beaten the rojiblancos for almost four years, represents a serious threat to the block of Diego Pablo Simeone, who loses Uruguayans José María Giménez, key in the rear, and the striker Luis Suárez by suspension, and the English right-back Kieran Trippier after confirming his departure to Newcastle, although Villarreal will also be notably affected by the Africa Cup of Nations.

Barcelona has linked two draws and two victories as a starting point for its recovery that has allowed it to return to European positions, a reaction that must be confirmed in Los Cármenes, where Robert Moreno’s Granada, also in a clear upward trend, has been made strong in recent games, in which they have been able, for example, to beat Atlético de Madrid.

To plague of casualties suffered by the workforce Xavi Hernandez The Uruguayan Ronald Araujo, one of his great props in the rear, who suffered a fracture in the first and second metacarpal of his right hand in the hard commitment to the cup in Linares, as well as the Dutchman Frenkie de Jong, also injured in the cup crash.

Basque derby

At Reale Arena will meet two teams in crossed streaks. Real Sociedad, which has not won since the beginning of November, got into the second round of the ko tournament with some difficulties in Leganés; and Celta of Argentine Eduardo ‘Chacho’ Coudet, has achieved a draw and two victories in LaLiga but instead said goodbye to the Cup against Atlético Baleares, from Primera RFEF (third category).

Athletic, who will face Atlético de Madrid in the first semifinal of the Super Cup, has a Basque duel in Mendizorroza against an Alavés that marks the descent and tries to take flight with the charismatic José Luis Mendilíbar on the bench.

Cádiz, penultimate, also wants to show symptoms of reaction in El Sadar against Osasuna, who loses Argentine Chimy Ávila by sanction, although much more delicate is the situation of Levante, bottom without knowing the victory yet, who will visit a Mallorca that has four rental points with respect to the red zone.

Elche, seventeenth tied on points with Alavés, will close the day on Monday against Espanyol at the RCDE Stadium, where The sanctioned Fidel Chaves and Diego González will not be able to play and coach Francisco Rodríguez will not be able to sit on the bench either after being sent off.

Program of the 20th day

Saturday

14.00 Levante-Mallorca

16.15 Real Sociedad-Celta

18.30 Granada-Barcelona

21.00 Real Madrid-Valencia

Sunday

14.00 Rayo Vallecano-Betis

16.15 Seville-Getafe

18.30 Alavés-Athletic

18.30 Osasuna-Cádiz

21.00 Villarreal-Atlético de Madrid

Monday

21.00 Espanyol-Elche