Primera Iberdrola Week 19 Preview: Barcelona return to action, seek to consolidate position as Atlético Madrid face a tricky tie at Alavés
Barcelona have set their sights on consolidating their position at the top when they entertain Real Betis at the Estadi Johan Cruyff on Saturday .
The hosts have been enjoying the campaign so far registering a 100% win rate after 17 matches, scoring a whooping 98 goals and conceding just four goals in the process.
Real Betis will be wary of the marauding Barcelona forwards led by Jennie Hermoso, Lieke Martens, Asisat Oshoala and the support which they get from their skipper Alexia Putellas in midfield.
The teams have met 10 times with Barcelona winning nine and drawing one. In the 10 matches, Real Betis managed to score only two goals, a statistic which further shows the defensive prowess of the hosts.
Barcelona are hoping to take their Supercopa Final form into this match where they demolished Atlético Madrid 7-0 whilst the visitors will be looking to build on their 2-0 win over Eibar in their last match.
Elsewhere, Real Sociedad make a trip to the Ciudad Deportiva Stadium on Saturday to face Villarreal.
The hosts, who have collected nine points in their last four matches, will be aiming to collect more in their relegation fight whilst the visitors will continue to contend for a top three finish.
Villarreal, on 14 points, are two places from the drop zone after their 4-2 win against Madrid CFF in their last league match and will look to build on the result in their fight against relegation.
Third-placed Atlético Madrid have a date with Alavés at the Ciudad Deportiva José Luis Compañón on Sunday.
The visitors will be hoping to bounce back from their 7-0 demolition by Barcelona in the Supercopa Final at the weekend.
The two teams have met just once, in September last year, and the match was a close call with Atlético winning 3-2.
The visitors will once again turn to Deyna Castellanos for goals. The 22-year-old scored a brace in their 3-2 win over Sporting Huelva last weekend.
Real Madrid host sixth-placed Sevilla at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stéfano on Saturday.
A win for Real Madrid will take them to 26 points whilst a win for Sevilla will take them to 30 points.
Madrid have won two of the four fixtures which they played against Sevilla. The visitors will be aiming change their away record whilst Real Madrid want to maintain their home dominance in this fixture.
Fourth-placed UDG Tenerife make a trip to Estadio Antonio Puchades on Sunday to face Valencia.
Tenerife are back in action after their last league match was postponed due to Covid-19 cases.
A win for the visitors will keep them within touching distance of third-placed Atlético Madrid.
The inconsistent hosts, on the other hand, have failed to collect any points in their last three matches and will be looking to collect maximum points in their quest to survive relegation.
The teams have met 13 times with Tenerife winning six of them, Valencia winning three and the teams drawing four.
Athletic Club hosts bottom-placed Rayo Vallecano at the Instalaciones de Lezama Campo 1 on Sunday.
The home side still have a chance to finish in the top three and this match will be important in their quest for Champions League football.
The visitors, on the other hand, will look to avoid a defeat which would condemn them further towards the chop.
Rayo Vallecano have not won at the Lezama stadium in their 10 visits having managed four draws and lost the other six matches, leaving the hosts with an upper hand in this fixture.
Madrid CFF travel to Eibar for a date at the Unbe Sports Complex on Sunday.
The visitors find themselves in danger of slipping further down the log having failed to collect any points in their last five matches.
The Madrid side find themselves 11th on the standings with 20 points after 18 matches and the outcome at the Unbe Sports Complex will determine their survival chances.
Eibar, on the other hand, have been struggling and find themselves 14th on the standings with 13 points.
The two teams have met three times with Madrid CFF winning two last season and Eibar winning the first leg of this season last October. The hosts will be hoping to complete a double over their opponents this weekend.
The visitors have banked on forward Geyse Ferreira, although she has not been consistent of late.
Sporting Huelva host Levante at the Campo Federativo de la Orden on Sunday.
The hosts blew a chance to move to 12th position when they failed to hold on to their 2-0 lead against Atlético Madrid in their last league match.
The two teams have met nine times at this venue with Levante winning four, losing two and drawing three times.
Fixtures (Saturday): Barcelona vs Real Betis (12:00); Villarreal vs Real Sociedad (12:00); Real Madrid vs Sevilla (17:00)
Fixtures (Sunday): Valencia vs UDG Tenerife (11:30); Eibar vs Madrid CFF (11:30); Sporting Huelva vs Levante (12:00); Alavés vs Atlético Madrid (12:00); Athletic Club vs Rayo Vallecano (12:00)
All times are Central European Time (CET)
(Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)