Primera Iberdrola Week 17 Preview: Atletico Madrid returns to action as Barcelona aim for another win against Sporting Huelva
Villarreal aim for a third win in a row in their fight for survival when they host Atletico Madrid at Ciudad Deportiva on Wednesday evening.
Atletico Madrid, in their fight for continental football next season, face the danger posed by the relegation haunted side and will aim for nothing other than maximum points.
The hosts, on the other hand, face the reality of getting relegated as they are still in danger and will fight for their life and pose a threat to the visitors.
The visitors will be missing defenders Barbara Latorre and Amanda Frisbie and attacker Thembi Kgatlana due to injury.
The hosts will once again bank on forward Teresa Morato Armengol, who made the team of the week last week after scoring a brace against Alaves.
Elsewhere, Sporting Huelva will have memories of being demolished 8-1 at home by the defending champions Barcelona as they travel to Estadi Johan Cruyff on Wednesday evening.
The match likely comes a bit early for the visitors who are aiming to survive relegation, and having won their last match, would have preferred a different opponent as they look to build momentum.
Barcelona will be missing midfielder Aitana Bonmati for an estimated three weeks after she suffered an injury to her right leg. They, however, welcome attackers Jenni Hermoso and Alexia Putellas and defender Ana Crnogorcevic who had tested positive for COVID-19. The trio was back training with others.
Second placed Real Sociedad travel to Estadio Antonio Puchades for a date with Valencia on Wednesday night hoping to maintain their chase for continental football next season.
The visitors have not lost to Valencia since November 2018 and have been dominating this fixture since.
Valencia, on the other hand, have not been consistent and face the danger posed by the visitors who have been at their best this season.
Real Sociedad edged Athletic Club 1-0 in their last match whilst Valencia lost 2-0 away to Sporting Huelva.
A win for Sociedad will take them to 40 points whilst a defeat for Valencia will leave them with a lot to do to survive relegation.
Levante and Athletic Club aim for consistency as they seek to save campaigns
Levante travel to the Unbe Sports Complex to face Eibar on Wednesday evening having seen their campaign go off the rails with inconsistency which saw them lie 10th on the log standings.
With 14 matches to go before the end of the season, Levante are not yet safe from relegation hence the need to collect maximum points against a struggling Eibar side after losing to Real Betis at the weekend.
The hosts, on the other hand, are aiming to build on their win last weekend against Rayo Vallecano.
An inconsistent Athletic Club hosts an equally inconsistent Real Betis side on Wednesday night at the Instalaciones de Lezama Campo 1 hoping to collect maximum points to turn around their season.
The hosts have a better head-to-head record at home against Betis, having not lost a match, and their last victory at home against the visitors was during the 2019/20 season with goals from forward Ane Azkona Fuente and defender Garazi Murua.
Rayo Vallecano lock horns with Sevilla on Wednesday evening away at the Ramon Cisneros Palacios.
The visitors they are slowly sinking and find themselves bottom of the log standings after managing only a single point in their last five matches.
Rayo had their hearts heartbroken by a 1-0 defeat to Eibar at the weekend, having conceded in the 92nd minute.
Sevilla are looking to utilise home advantage and collect maximum points as they look to move up the log standings after their 2-1 away win against Madrid CFF last weekend.
In one of the late kick offs, Alaves will host Madrid CFF on Wednesday, with both sides failing to maintain consistency having managed a single victory apiece in their last five matches.
Alaves had had a run of good results which had moved them to seventh position before they started crumbling under the pressure of the challenge for Champions League spots.
Alaves won the first leg away from home in October last year with a 1-0 score line. A win for Alaves will take them to 25 points and move them above Real Madrid who have had their fixture postponed.
Fixtures (Wednesday): Eibar vs Levante (16:00); Villarreal vs Atletico Madrid (16:00); Barcelona vs Sporting Huelva (17:00); Sevilla vs Rayo Vallecano (17:00); Valencia vs Real Sociedad (17:30); Alaves vs Madrid CFF (18:30); Athletic Club vs Real Betis (19:30); Real Madrid vs UDG Tenerife (Postponed)
All times are Central European Time (CET)
(Photo By Oscar J. Barroso/Europa Press via Getty Images)