Barcelona in Tenerife date as Real, Levante seek redemption: Liga F Week 12 Preview
Defending champions Barcelona take their show to the Canary Islands where they face hosts UDCA Tenerife at the Campo Municipal de Fútbol de Adeje on Sunday afternoon.
The visitors will be looking to continue with their 100% record with another masterclass performance.
The visitors will be without several players due to injury including midfielder and skipper Alexia Putellas and defender Mapi Leon but have enough cover in both positions and will be welcoming forward Asisat Oshoala back after she was given the green light by the medical team.
Player of the moment forward Caroline Graham Hansen, who has netted eight goals and seven assists so far this season, will also be tasked with steering the team to a victory.
The hosts, on the other hand, will be hoping that forwards Rinsola Babajide, Jassina Blom and Gift Monday are at their best to give a scare to the Barcelona rearguard that has conceded just two goals in 11 games.
A win for Barcelona will take them to 36 points whilst a Tenerife win will make it two wins in a row for them and move them to 19 points.
The teams have met 15 times in competitive matches with Barcelona winning 13 and losing two.
Meanwhile, third-placed Real Madrid will be looking to bounce back from their 3-1 defeat to Sevilla last weekend when they visit Levante Las Planas at the Camp Municipal Les Planes on Sunday afternoon.
The visitors have gone nine points behind log leaders Barcelona.
On the other hand, the hosts will be looking to end a three match winless run.
The visitors will be hoping that forwards Athenea del Castillo and Caroline Møller are at their best, supported by the ever running Olga Carmona to inspire their side to victory.
A win for the visitors will take them to 27 points to stay in touch with the leaders whilst a win for the hosts will take them to 19 points.
The teams have met twice with Real Madrid winning both matches.
Wounded Levante will look to put behind them their first defeat of the season last weekend when they host bottom-placed Sporting Huelva at the Ciudad Deportiva de Buñol - Campo 1 on Saturday afternoon.
Levante will be looking to utilise home advantage to collect maximum points against their less fancied opponents who have found the going tough this season.
The hosts will be hoping that forwards Alba Redondo and Mayra Ramírez are hungry for goals to lead their side to victory whilst the visitors will be hoping for a rejuvenated attack led by forward Jessica de Filippo to register their first win of the season.
A win for the hosts will bring them back in the top three whilst a win for the visitors will boost their hopes of fighting relegation.
The teams have met 22 times with Levante winning 11, losing three and drawing eight.
Second-placed Atlético Madrid will be looking to continue with their fine run when they host a rejuvenated Real Sociedad on Saturday afternoon at the Centro Deportivo Alcalá de Henares.
The Madrid based side seized the opportunity to move into second place after Levante and Real Madrid suffered shock defeats last weekend and they will look to build on that to push for a UEFA spot for next season.
On the other hand, the visitors will be aiming to make it three wins in a row and will be banking on player-of-the-moment Synne Jensen with six goals so far, supported by midfielder and skipper Nerea Eizaguirre.
A win for the hosts will move them to 28 points to maintain their second position whilst a win for the visitors will take them to 19 points.
The teams have met 29 times in competitive matches with Atlético winning 18, losing seven and drawing four.
A rejuvenated Madrid CFF will be looking to continue with their fine form when they host struggling Villarreal at the Estadio Fernando Torres on Saturday afternoon.
The Madrid side earned themselves the “monster mentality” tag after their heroics to register successive 4-3 victories against Las Planas and Valencia.
They will be hoping that their leading striker Racheal Kundananji is at her best to lead the attack.
The visitors, on the other hand, will be looking to bounce back from their disappointing 2-2 draw against Las Planas last weekend after throwing away a two-goal lead with eight minutes left on the clock.
A win for Madrid CFF will take them to 27 points whilst a win for the visitors will take them to 12 points and ease their relegation worries.
The teams have met four times with either team winning twice.
Bubbling from their 3-1 victory over Real Madrid last weekend, Sevilla will be looking to make it five wins in a row when they host an equally motivated Athletic Club at the Ramón Cisneros Palacios on Sunday evening.
Sevilla will be hoping that their forwards will wear their scoring boots which dismantled a highly fancied Madrid side last weekend whilst the visitors will be hoping that the heroics of Ane Azkona and company will manifest again against a less fancied Sevilla side to propel their team to victory.
A win for Sevilla will take them to 21 points, nearer to the top five teams, whilst a win for the visitors will take them to 18 points, level with their opponents.
The teams have met 18 times with Athletic Club winning 11, losing three and drawing four, giving the visitors an upper hand.
Real Betis will be looking to bounce back from their two-match losing streak when they face hosts SD Eibar at the Municipal de Ipurua on Saturday evening.
The hosts will be hoping their team works on their scoring abilities having managed only a single goal in their last five competitive matches.
A win for the visitors will take them to 16 points whilst a win for the hosts will take them to 10 points.
The teams have met four times with Betis winning two, losing one and drawing one.
Both teams have won in their two meetings at this venue giving an even chance to either team of winning the match.
A battle of struggling teams looms as hosts Granada CF and visiting Valencia square off at the Nuevo Estadio de Los Cármenes on Sunday evening.
The visitors are on a four match losing streak whilst the hosts have lost their last 10 matches in a row since their opening day victory and will look to capitalise on home advantage against their opponents.
The visitors’ hopes will be pinned on forward Ivonne Chacón and midfielder Pauleta for inspiration.
The hosts, on the other hand, will be hoping that the team capitalises on home support to find the net as they have scored just two goals in their last six matches.
A win for Valencia will take them to 14 points whilst a win for the hosts will take them to six points, giving them a boost in their relegation fight.
The teams have met twice with Valencia winning both matches.
Fixtures (Saturday): Atlético Madrid vs Real Sociedad (12:00); Madrid CFF vs Villarreal (14:00); Levante vs Sporting Huelva (16:30); SD Eibar vs Real Betis (18:30)
Fixtures (Sunday): UDCA Tenerife vs Barcelona (12:00)*; Levante Las Planas vs Real Madrid (14:00); Granada CF vs Valencia (16:30); Sevilla vs Athletic Club (18:30)
All times are Central European Time (CET)
*Peninsular Time