Real look to bounce back as Levante aim for Madrid CFF scalp: Liga F Week 7 Preview
Real Madrid will look to bounce back from their 2-1 loss to Levante just before the international break when they square up with hosts SD Eibar at the Municipal de Ipurua on Saturday evening.
The visitors will be aiming to collect maximum points and stay in touch with the top teams as they still dream of ending Barcelona’s dominance.
They will be hoping that their players can translate their national team performances of the past week in the UEFA Women’s Nations League (UWNL) to club football as they face a struggling Eibar side that has a poor conversion rate as well as a porous defence.
They will still be missing their little midfield magician Caroline Weir but they have enough arsenal to cause problems to any team in the league.
A win will take the visitors to 18 points whilst Eibar will be hoping to avoid a defeat in their aim to fight relegation.
The teams have met four times with Real Madrid winning all the matches and scoring nine goals and conceding only two in the process.
Meanwhile, a potentially explosive duel is on the cards on Sunday evening as hosts Madrid CFF welcome Levante at the Estadio Fernando Torres.
Both teams are enjoying a good start to the season with the visitors yet to taste defeat after winning three matches and drawing three in the first six matches of the season whilst the hosts have lost only once (against log leaders Barcelona) and won the next five matches after that to put them firmly on 15 points.
Defender María Méndez will be hoping to carry on with her scoring after netting one for the national team against Switzerland on Tuesday night whilst the hosts will be hoping that forward Racheal Kundananji will be at her best to provide the goals as she aims to win the golden boot this season.
A win for Madrid CFF will take them to 18 points as they dream of playing continental football next season. On the other hand, Levante will be looking to maintain their unbeaten run.
The teams have met 11 times with Levante winning seven, losing three and drawing one.
Log leaders Barcelona will be welcoming Sevilla at the Estadi Johan Cruyff on Sunday afternoon hoping to maintain their 100% start to the season.
The hosts will be welcoming their motivated contingent of players from international duty having done well with forwards Esmee Brugts, Asisat Oshoala and Alexia Putellas having scored for their respective teams.
Young forward Salma Paralluelo had an assist in Spain’s match against Switzerland. Midfielder Aitana Bonmatí was the biggest winner as she received the 2023 Ballon D’Or Feminin Award on Monday night.
Sevilla will be hoping to stop the marauding Barcelona forwards and be the first team to inflict defeat on the hosts and make it two wins in a row after their 2-1 win over Levante Las Planas just before the international break.
The visitors will be hoping forwards Inma Gabarro and Ana Franco are at their best to cause problems for the Barcelona defence which will be marshalled by Mapi León and Marta Torrejón.
The teams have met 20 times with Barcelona winning 17 and drawing three, giving the hosts an upper hand as they boast of not having lost to their opponents before.
Visiting Atlético Madrid will have to be at their best to negotiate past a stubborn UDCA Tenerife at the Estadio Municipal de Adeje on Sunday afternoon.
The visitors will be hoping for a disciplined approach to the match as they know the threat posed by the hosts who will be banking on Belgian forward Jassina Blom who will have able support from Nigerian forwards Rinsola Babajide and Gift Monday who recently helped their country into the next round of the Paris 2024 Olympics qualifier against Ethiopia.
Atlético will be banking on forwards Sheila Guijarro and skipper Leicy Santos to inspire the team to victory.
A win for the visitors will take them to 16 points and stay close to the teams at the top whilst Tenerife will be looking to utilise home advantage and collect maximum points and move to 12 points.
The teams have met 17 times with Atlético Madrid winning 12 and drawing five, giving the visitors an upper hand going into the fixture.
Visiting Levante Las Planas will be looking to bounce back from a 2-1 defeat to Sevilla when they meet struggling Granada CF at the Ciudad Deportiva del Granada CF on Sunday afternoon.
The visitors aim to collect maximum points against a Granada side that has lost their last five matches in a row.
Las Planas have enough ammunition in forwards Anissa Lahmari and Irina Uribe to cause problems to the hosts’ rearguard.
The hosts, on the other hand, will be motivated by having breached the Barcelona rearguard to score a solitary goal in their last match and also hope to utilise home advantage to collect their second full set of points.
The teams have met twice with Granada winning at home and losing the return fixture away.
Real Sociedad, who have had a bumpy start to the season, can relaunch their season with a win over visiting Villarreal at the Instalaciones de Zubieta on Saturday afternoon.
Having won just two and lost three games in six, the hosts will be looking to regroup as they find themselves sliding down the pecking order.
Skipper and forward Nerea Eizagirre has to replicate her last season’s form to help the visitors as they also look to get the best out of Amaiur Sarriegi. They also boast experienced midfielders Virginia Torrecilla and Fatou Kanteh who can hold the fort.
The teams have met five times with Real Sociedad winning all the matches.
Struggling Real Betis will be looking for a change of fortunes when they host an inconsistent Athletic Club at the Ciudad Deportiva Luis de Sol on Saturday afternoon.
The hosts will be banking on forwards Carol Ferez and Carmen Alvarez to inspire the team to victory.
The visitors, on the other hand, will be looking to make it two wins in a row after beating Real Sociedad 2-1 before the international break and their hopes will be pinned on forwards Jone Amezaga and Ane Azkona as well as defender Ane Elexpuru who has three assists this season for the club.
A win for Athletic Club will take them to 12 points whilst Betis will move to seven points.
The teams have met 15 times with Athletic Club winning six, losing three and drawing six.
Bottom-placed Sporting Huelva face hosts Valencia at the Ciudad Deportiva de Paterna on Saturday afternoon.
Valencia, who have been inconsistent this season, will be looking to utilise the opportunity of meeting Huelva at their lowest point to collect maximum points and the visitors will have to act now to avoid the chop come end of the season.
The hosts want to improve from their draw against Betis before the international break where they let a two-goal lead slip through their hands.
Their hopes will be pinned on forwards Anita Marcos and Fiamma Iannuzzi whilst the visitors will be banking on Slovakian forward Patrícia Hmírová.
The hosts will be missing defender Pauleta who was expelled against Betis after receiving two yellow cards whilst the visitors will also have to do without defender Katarzyna Konat who also received two yellow cards against Madrid CFF before the international break.
A win for Valencia will take them to 11 points whilst a win for Huelva will take them to four points.
The teams have met 25 times with each team winning 10 and drawing five.
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Fixtures (Saturday): Real Sociedad vs Villarreal (12:00); Real Betis vs Athletic Club (13:30); Valencia vs Sporting Huelva (16:00); SD Eibar vs Real Madrid (18:30)
Fixtures (Sunday): UDCA Tenerife vs Atlético Madrid (12:00)*; Granada CF vs Levante Las Planas (13:30); Barcelona vs Sevilla (16:00); Madrid CFF vs Levante (18:30)
All times are in Central European Time (CET)
*Peninsular Hour