Day 26 of the League | Schedules, match results and summary | Sports

The 26th day of the League starts this Friday with the match between Valladolid and Athletic. The most attractive event of the weekend is the classic between Barcelona and Real Madrid at the Camp Nou on Sunday, to close the day. The azulgranas come into the match with a nine-point lead, and the League would be very difficult for them if they were to win. Almería and Cádiz play a key Andalusian derby for salvation on Saturday, like Valencia, who visits Atlético with the need to win and put distance with the red zone of the table. On Sunday Osasuna receives Villarreal in a direct confrontation for the long-awaited European places and Sevilla will visit Getafe looking for a victory to get away from relegation.

Almería – Cádiz (Saturday 18, 2:00 p.m., Movistar LaLiga)

Almería receives Cádiz to play an Andalusian derby with salvation at stake. Cádiz have only lost one of their last five games (win two and draw two). Almería, two points below and second from bottom in the table, is on the opposite streak: they have only won one of the last five games. The victory for the yellow team would mean putting distance with the red zone, for the team from Almería, the three points could mean that the tables were reversed.

Rayo Vallecano – Girona (Saturday 18, 16.15, DAZN)

Rayo Vallecano receives Girona in a key match for the Madrid team, which aspires to get into European positions. Those from Iraola had a great start to the season that they were able to maintain even after the break. However, the Vallecas team has not won any of the last five games it has played (three draws and two losses). Rayo aspires to recover the good feelings against a Girona that wants to ensure permanence.

Espanyol – Celta (Saturday 18, 6:30 p.m., Movistar LaLiga)

Celta visits Espanyol in another important duel for salvation. The Catalan team is one point from the red zone and has just lost to Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu (3-1). Celta, although a little more solvent, would appreciate the three points to put distance with the red zone, and more in a League with the lower half of the table so tight.

Atlético de Madrid – Valencia (Saturday 18, 21:00, DAZN)

Atlético de Madrid receives Valencia in a difficult match for the team with the bat. Those of Baraja, harassed by the threat of relegation, have chained a series of bad results that has left them tied on points with Getafe, third from bottom of the table. The new coach has won two games and lost another two since he took over the team and now faces his greatest test against Atlético. Simeone’s men seem to have recovered from a very irregular streak that left them out of European competitions and the Copa del Rey. Now, fighting only to qualify for the Champions League, the rojiblancos seem to have come close to their best level.

Betis – Mallorca (Sunday 19, 2:00 p.m., Movistar LaLiga)

Betis receives Mallorca in the first match on Sunday. The Andalusian team has had a great performance during the season. Pellegrini’s men come from being eliminated in the Europa League against Manchester United, but they look to the Champions League positions, from which they are only separated by three points. Mallorca, from the middle of the table, have only won one of their last five games and will seek to recover good feelings in Seville.

Osasuna – Villarreal (Sunday 19, 4:15 p.m., Movistar LaLiga)

Villarreal visits Osasuna for an important confrontation in the dispute for the European places. Villarreal, who comes from being eliminated in the Conference League, is sixth and is chasing Betis to get at least into the Europa League. Osasuna, four points behind the yellow team, has had a good performance this season and is in the Copa del Rey semifinal. Those from Arrasate have accumulated a bad run of results in the League, but they have hope of reaching the European positions.

Real Sociedad – Elche (Sunday 19, 4:15 p.m., DAZN)

Real Sociedad receives Elche on Sunday with third place in the standings in their sights. Imanol’s men are chasing Atlético de Madrid after a series of draws and defeats have left them three points behind. La Real wants to defend its position in the Champions League, which Betis is also closely following, and Elche will have to fight to scratch a point. The bottom team arrives at the game with salvation at 13 points, the same ones that they have added so far this season and only a great performance in the remainder of the competition could guarantee them permanence.

Getafe – Seville (Sunday 19, 18.15, DAZN)

Sevilla visits Getafe in another key match for salvation. Those of Sampaoli, in the quarterfinals of the Europa League, are having their worst performance in the League in recent years and feel the pressure of the relegation zone. Getafe, two points below the Andalusian team, is third from bottom in the standings and the three points would turn the tables, complicating the competition for the Seville team.

Barcelona – Real Madrid (Sunday 19, 21.00, Movistar LaLiga)

Barcelona receives Real Madrid to play the star game of the day at the Camp Nou. The white team, which comes from beating Liverpool in the Champions League and qualifying for the quarterfinals, is nine points behind Barcelona in the League and a victory would balance the fight for local competition. Barcelona has the advantage of having won the last two games against the white team: in the Spanish Super Cup (1-3) and in the first leg of the Copa del Rey (0-1). However, Xavi’s men cannot be trusted after adding several victories by the minimum, with only one goal on the scoreboard.

Valladolid – Athletic (1-3)

A relentless Athletic, the best in recent weeks, imposed their game at the José Zorrilla against Valladolid (1-3), a setting that is usually very pleasing for the rojiblancos, who opened the scoring from set pieces, in a foul on the edge of the area that Iñigo Martínez executed that brushed against Óscar Plano and misled Asenjo. With the score in favor and a firm defense, Athletic took control of the game and Pacheta’s team, which has not managed to come back from behind all season, fell apart. Nothing changed in the second half, and an assist from De Marcos that Guruzeta took advantage of increased the scoring. Only Dani García’s slip, which left the ball on a tray for Canadian Larin to narrow the result, worried Athletic with a quarter of an hour remaining, but just three minutes later, Joaquín touched a ball with his hand in the area and Vesga, one of the highlights of the game, transformed the penalty that put the final figures on the scoreboard, before the revelry of the numerous rojiblanca parish that traveled to Pucela. inform Jon Rivas.

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