Spanish La Liga Round 18: Catalan derby and "Real Madrid" vs. "Real Betis" match - REVIEW

The Spanish La Liga has resumed its activities after a short Christmas and New Year break.

According to Idman.Biz, the 18th round will be spread over three days: the round will start on January 2, and the last game of the round will end on January 4 with the match "Real Sociedad" - "Atletico".

"Barcelona" (46 points) continues to lead the tournament table. "Real Madrid" is in second place, four points behind. Then come "Atletico" (37) and "Villarreal" (35). "Espanyol" (33) and "Real Betis" (28) are also in positions close to the Eurocup zone. For this reason, any loss of points between direct rivals can drastically change the situation.

"Espanyol" – "Barcelona" (January 3)

The Catalan derby will be held at the "RCDE Stadium" and will start at 23:59 Baku time.

From the tournament point of view, this is a duel of teams in the top six: "Barcelona" is in the first place, and "Espanyol" is in the fifth place. Season statistics also show the difference: "Barcelona" scored 51 goals and conceded 20 goals, while "Espanyol" scored 22 goals and conceded 17 goals.

An additional background to the meeting is related to increased security measures. "Espanyol" has officially banned the bringing of any symbols related to "Barcelona" (attributes, scarves, flags, etc.) to the stadium area, and also announced that protective nets will be installed behind the gates. One of the reasons for tightening the regime is the factor of goalkeeper Joan Garcia, who returned to "RCDE Stadium" in the "Barcelona" squad. He used to play for "Espanyol".

"Real"(Madrid) – "Real Betis" (January 4)

The Madrid poster of the round will take place at the "Santiago Bernabeu" stadium and will start at 19:15 Baku time.

"Real"(Madrid) enters the match from the second place, following the leader. "Real Betis" is in sixth place and remains in the fight for the European Cups. The season statistics are as follows: the home team has 36 goals scored and 16 goals conceded, while "Betis" has 29 goals scored and 19 goals conceded. It should be noted that in one of the direct matches held in recent years, "Real Betis" defeated the Madrid team within the championship (2:1 in March 2025).

Other matches of the 18th round of La Liga

January 2

"Rayo Vallecano" – "Getafe" – 1:1

January 3

"Celta" – "Valencia"

"Osasuna" – "Athletic"

"Elche" – "Villarreal"

January 4

"Sevilla" – "Levante"

"Alaves" – "Real Oviedo"

"Mallorca" – "Girona"

"Real Sociedad" – "Atletico"