Idman.biz
After the international break, the Spanish championship returns to one of the busiest phases of the season.
According to Idman.Biz, the 30th round itself has already started with Rayo Vallecano's 1-0 victory over Elche.
Barcelona enters the weekend's central matches as the leader with 73 points after 29 games, Real Madrid is second with 69 points, Villarreal is third with 58 points, and Atletico Madrid is only one point behind. Further down are Betis with 44 points and Celta with 41 points, so the focus is currently on two directions: the championship race and the fight for European cups.
"Atletico Madrid" – "Barcelona" (April 4)
The main match of the round will be held in Madrid, where Atletico will host Barcelona. This is the first of three matches between the teams in the last ten days. Already on April 8, the teams will face each other again in Barcelona in the first leg of the Champions League 1/4 final, and on April 14, they will meet in the return match at the Metropolitano stadium. For the Catalans, this meeting is of direct importance in the championship race, while for the Madrid team, it is not only a chance to strike a blow against the leader, but also to return to the fight for third place, which Villarreal currently holds.
The rivals have already met three times this season. In the first round of La Liga, Barcelona won 3:1 at home. Then there was a match in the King's Cup: in the first semi-final match, Atletico defeated the Catalans 4:0 in Madrid, and in the return match they lost 0:3, but reached the final with an aggregate score of 4:3. That is why this meeting seems to be not only from the point of view of the tournament table, but also as a continuation of the great story of the season.
After the break, the home team has both positive and negative sides. The team is coming to the game after recent home victories over Real Sociedad and Getafe in La Liga, but Johnny Cardoso and Marcos Llorente will not be on the field in this match due to suspension.
The situation is different in Barcelona: Hansi Flick's team held their last training session before the trip to Madrid, and Alejandro Balde and Jules Kounde are close to returning to the squad after injury. This is especially important for the leader, because there is not only a championship game ahead, but also a Champions League 1/4 final series with the same opponent.
"Mallorca" – "Real Madrid" (April 4)
The other main match of the round will be held at the Son Moix stadium, where Mallorca will host Real Madrid. In the first round, the Madrid team won 2:1 at home: Arda Guler and Vinicius Junior responded to Vedat Muriqi's goal with accurate shots before the break. Now the value of a new victory is even higher for Real, because any stumble on the road could seriously complicate the fight with Barcelona.
Alvaro Arbeloa's team is returning from the international break without mistakes. The Madrid team has a streak of five consecutive victories in all tournaments and is one of the teams with the most points away from home this season. However, there are also problems in the squad: Federico Valverde is suspended, Thibaut Courtois, Ferland Mendy and Rodrigo are injured, but Eder Militao has already recovered and returned to the squad. This is especially important against the background of a very busy April, because the Madrid team is waiting for the Champions League 1/4 final against Bayern.
Mallorca's situation is more tense. The team is in 18th place with 28 points and is in the relegation zone. The home game against Real is one of the matches for them where points are worth their weight in gold. This will be their fourth game under the leadership of Martin Demichelis, who has collected 4 points in the first three matches. The main weapon of the home team is Vedat Muriqi, who already has 18 goals in La Liga. It is his productivity that gives Mallorca hope of winning points against such a strong opponent.
Other matches of the 30th round:
April 3
"Rayo Vallecano" – "Elche" 1:0
April 4
"Real Sociedad" – "Levante"
"Betis" – "Espanyol"
April 5
"Getafe" – "Athletic"
"Valencia" – "Celta"
"Real Oviedo" – "Sevilla"
"Deportivo Alaves" – "Osasuna"
April 6
"Girona" – "Villarreal"
Teams and points scored in the La Liga table (after the first match of the 30th round):
"Barcelona" – 73
"Real Madrid" – 69
"Villarreal" – 58
"Atletico Madrid" – 57
"Betis" – 44
"Celta" – 41
"Real Sociedad" – 38
"Getafe" – 38
"Athletic" – 38
"Osasuna" – 37
"Espanyol" – 37
"Rayo Vallecano" – 35
"Valencia" – 35
"Girona" – 34
"Sevilla" – 31
"Deportivo Alaves" – 31
"Elche" – 29
"Mallorca" – 28
"Levante" – 26
"Real Oviedo" – 21
