La Liga table toppers and defending champions, Barcelona, will on Saturday, seek to continue their march to yet another title when they take on relegation-threatened Rayo Vallecano at the Camp Nou. The match is one of Week 27 matches to air live exclusively to GOtv MAX subscribers.
The match will be air at 6.30 pm on SuperSport Select 4 (channel 34). Barcelona is currently on a hot streak; last week, the defending champions defeated their fierce rivals, Real Madrid, 1-0 away from home in the El Clasico, following an earlier 3-0 victory over the same opponents in the Copa del Rey semi-final, also at the Santiago Bernabeau.
Barcelona will hope to win their 19th match of the season and maintain a seven-point lead over second-placed Atletico Madrid. Vallecano could not have had more difficult opponents after the home battering in the hands of Girona in their last match, their fifth loss in as many matches.
They have also conceded 45 goals, an unwanted tally the rampaging Barcelona frontline of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele are well placed to increase.
Second-placed Atletico Madrid is in action on Saturday when they host 11th-placed Leganes in what is expected to be a tough game. The match will be live at 4:15 pm on SuperSport Select 4.
The Madrid-based team has regained form after a mini-slump, which saw them lose to Real Betis and Barcelona. Manager Diego Simeone will bank on Antoine Griezmann and last week’s two-goal hero Alvaro Morata, on loan from Chelsea, to deliver the goods.
However, Leganes, who are punching above their weight this season, have won four of their last eight matches and are playing some eye-catching football after their near-catastrophic campaign last season. They are managed by Mauricio Pellegrino, one of the rising stars on the European coaching circuit.
On Sunday, Real Madrid, who are currently distressed, will hope to begin their recovery from back-to-back home defeats in the hands of Barcelona and UEFA Champions League exit in the hands of Ajax Amsterdam when they confront Real Valladolid away from home.
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The El Clasico loss to Barcelona has left them trailing the Catalan side by 12 points. They will, however, be motivated by the possibility of picking up Spain’s final automatic UEFA Champions League ticket.
Real Madrid manager, Santiago Solari, who is under immense pressure, has a chance of getting some respite from 16th-placed Valladolid, who have lost four of their last five games and are struggling to maintain their top-flight status. The match will air live at 8:45 pm on SuperSport Select 4.
The round gets underway on Friday with the clash between Athletic Bilbao and Espanyol. It will air at 9 pm on Friday on SuperSport Select 4.
Games on Saturday include Alaves vs Eibar and Getafe vs Huesca, at 1pm and 8:45pm respectively, both on SuperSport Select 4. Games for broadcast on Sunday are Celta Vigo vs Real Betis, at 12pm, Girona vs Valencia at 4:15pm, Sevilla vs Real Sociedad, at 6:30pm and Levante v Villareal at 6:30pm. All matches will air live on SuperSport Select 4 (channel 34) the home of LaLiga on GOtv.
GOtv subscribers are encouraged to take advantage of the “Top Up” campaign and upgrade to GOtv MAX by paying a reduced fee of N2, 500 to gain access to all the exclusive football games on GOtv Max.
