Primera Iberdrola Week 20 Preview: Granadilla Tenerife aim for third spot as Real Sociedad face Real Madrid in tricky test
A rejuvenated Tenerife side has sights on a top three finish as they welcome Sporting Huelva at the Estadio La Palmera on Wednesday afternoon.
The hosts have been enjoying a fine run of form in the league this season winning four of their last five matches and losing only to the defending champions Barcelona.
The two teams have met six times at this venue and the hosts won thrice, drew twice and lost once.
The visitors lost the first leg of this season 3-0 at home in November last year and will be wary of their opponents’ dominance at home in this fixture.
The home side will be banking on forward Jassina Blom for goals whilst the visitors will bank on in-form forward Anita Marcos who has found the net four times in their last three matches.
A win for Tenerife will take them to 37 points and above third placed Atlético Madrid who will be playing four hours later.
Elsewhere, second-placed Real Sociedad welcome an improving Real Madrid side at the Centro de Entrenamiento Zubieta on Wednesday evening.
The two teams have had a good run of results with the hosts winning their last five matches whilst the visitors will seek to make it four wins in a row.
The teams have met four times in competitive matches and have won two matches each. They have met once at this venue and the hosts won that match in February last year and also won their first leg of this campaign away at Real Madrid.
Real Sociedad will be putting their hopes in forward Amaiur Sarriegi who has been finding the net in almost each of their last five matches whilst the visitors will pin their hopes on forward Athenea del Castillo.
A win for Sociedad will certainly cement their champions league hopes whilst a loss for Real Madrid will dent their hopes of making a last-minute push for champions league football.
Levante face an uphill task when they welcome Barcelona at the Ciudad Deportiva de Buñol - Campo 1 on Wednesday evening.
The defending champions surpassed the 100-goal mark and the hosts will be wary of the marauding Barcelona attack led by in-form forwards Asisat Oshoala, Lieke Martens and Jennie Hermoso who will be supported by super attacking midfielders Alexia Putellas and Fridolina Rolfö.
The teams have met 11 times at this venue and the visitors have won nine, drawn one and lost one, a statistic which gives them an upper hand in this fixture.
Barcelona will be looking to make it 19 wins in 19 matches whilst Levante will be hoping to be the first team to stop the defending champions’ winning streak.
Who has better hopes of a top three finish?
Atlético Madrid host struggling Madrid CFF in a Madrid derby at the Estadio Wanda Atlético de Madrid Alcalá de Henares on Wednesday hoping to recover lost ground in their fight for a top three finish having been held to a one-all draw by Alavés at the weekend.
The teams have met four times at this venue and the hosts won two, drew one and lost one.
Atlético Madrid, who have been enjoying late comebacks, will pin their hopes for goals on forward Deyna Castellanos who has scored in three of their last five matches.
On the other hand, a defeat for Madrid CFF will place them in danger of relegation as they are only seven points above 15th placed Villarreal.
At the Ciudad Deportiva Luis de Sol on Wednesday, Real Betis host Alaves.
Both teams are hoping to get maximum points as the visitors fancy a revival of hopes of a top three finish.
Alaves have done considerably well in their maiden season and a win against Betis will strengthen their resolve whilst the hosts will be hoping to utilise home advantage to collect maximum points.
The visitors will be banking on goalkeeper Cristina Cornejo Vega to summon her reflexes to deny the hosts whilst the hosts will be looking up to midfielder Grace Asantewaa who has been scoring crucial goals in the previous matches.
The teams met just once and the visitors won 2-1 in September last year.
Athletic Club will seek to keep pushing for continental football when they host Eibar at the Lezama Facilities on Wednesday night.
The fifth-placed hosts, on 30 points, have a chance to come to within one point of fourth-placed Tenerife.
The teams have met seven times and the Athletic Club have won six and lost one.
Who will face the chop?
Villarreal visit a motivated Sevilla side at the Ramón Cisneros Palacios on Wednesday.
The visitors face the danger of relegation if fortunes do not change with 10 matches remaining whilst the hosts face the prospects of finishing in the top three and play champions league football.
The teams have met once, in November last year, and Sevilla edged Villareal 3-2 in a closely fought encounter.
A win for Sevilla will take them to 30 points, five points within the reach of third-placed Atlético Madrid whilst a win for Villarreal will take them to 16 points.
Rayo Vallecano and Valencia clash at the Ciudad Deportiva Rayo Vallecano Campo 4 on Wednesday afternoon.
The visitors Valencia are just a point from the drop zone whilst Rayo Vallecano, with two games in hand, are at the bottom of the log on five points from 17 games.
The teams have met 10 times at this venue and the hosts managed four wins, three draws and three defeats.
A win for the hosts will take them to eight points whilst a win for Valencia will take them to 17 points.
Fixtures (Wednesday): UDG Tenerife vs Sporting Huelva (12:00); Real Betis vs Alavés (12:00); Atlético Madrid vs Madrid CFF (16:30); Rayo Vallecano vs Valencia (17:00); Sevilla vs Villarreal (17:00); Levante vs Barcelona (17:00); Real Sociedad vs Real Madrid (18:00); Athletic Club vs Eibar (19:00).
All times are Central European Time (CET)