Real Madrid and Barcelona completed round 135237 of the anual Clasico s---show last Wednseday; and they'll square off in round 135238 on Tuesday. In between we have to return, however briefly, to the Liga--so if you can stomach looking away from the "OMG PEPE IS HORRIBLE AND PORTUGUESE AND WE SHOULD MURDER HIM RA RA RA" coverage on MARCA...well maybe watch the EPL.
La Liga 2012, Week 19 Preview And Fixtures: Real Madrid, Barcelona Looking For Calm Between Clasicos
Tired of the Real Madrid vs Barcelona drama? Well, go check out the Premier League. And now, back to the Pepinsanity.
Saturday, January 21
18:00 CET (12:00 PM EST)
Strong match right out of the gate, as per usual. Middle of the table sides trending down, tons of ex-prospects battling it out to see which side might finish on the right end of 10th place? Count me in.
Pick: 1-1 draw.
18:00 CET (12:00 PM EST)
Well, this one is a bit more interesting. Espanyol really is trending up, and I do think we can expect to see something positive out of them in the next...five years? And hey, Granada hasn’t been too bad this season, with some notable wins.
Pick: 1-0 to Espanyol.
Real Sociedad vs. Atlético Madrid
20:00 CET (2:00 PM EST)
The Simeone era started off well for Atleti, with a pretty fantastic win last weekend. Hopefully, we’ll also see the real breakout from Radamel Falcao that we’ve been waiting for all season with the new system and a rejuvenated Diego. I mean, it’s not like my initial top-3 or 4 finish is in any way realistic, but they might actually make me not look like a total complete moron...right?
Pick: 1-2 to Atleti.
Betis vs. Sevilla
22:00 CET (4:00 PM EST)
Hey! Insane derby-loving people! It's, like, the fourth most important derby in Spain (behind the Madrid one, the Catalan one, and...the Valencia one?). Still, it's going to be a really fun match no matter the result--these two groups of fans really hate each other, so there might be a fight. And hey, that's always fun.
Pick: 1-1. I’m tired of predictions.
Sunday, January 22
Osasuna vs. Valencia
12:00 CET (6:00 AM EST)
Well, at least the Asian markets will get to see Valencia this weekend, rather than the normal combination of Racing, Real Sociedad, and Granada. Unfortunately, they’re facing a defensive Osasuna side in the Reyno de Navarra. But hey, they have Roberto Soldado, who I’ve previously described as “good” and “a soccer player.”
Pick: 0-2 to Valencia.
16:00 CET (10:00 AM EST)
Rayo is enjoying an extremely surprising season, with old-timer Raúl Tamudo at the healm. And even better? They’re Europe’s best pass-intercepting team (seriously), though they still give up tons of goals. And they’re not that great. But hey, soon we’ll actually have to stop thinking of them as certain relegation-fodder!
Pick: 2-1 to Mallorca.
Málaga vs. FC Barcelona
18:00 CET (12:00 PM EST)
Hell, given the massive reaction to stomp-gate 2012, I'm just surprised that Lionel Messi still has a hand. Seriously, though, it'll be interesting to see whether Pep Guardiola sits any of his players to prepare for Real Madrid on Tuesday. In reference to this game, though, Barça is a complete lock here: Málaga is terrible on defense, and very open on offense. They're perfect Barça-fodder.
Pick: 1-7 to Barcelona.
19:45 CET (1:45 PM EST)
Valencia humiliated a very poor Levante side Thursday evening; and I wouldn’t expect anything better. The best cure for a derby thrashing? Zaragoza, who are one of the poorest sides I’ve ever seen in la Liga.
Pick: 1-0 to Levante.
Real Madrid vs. Athletic Bilbao
21:30 CET (3:30 PM EST)
Now this is the matchup of the weekend. Real Madrid, after their loss to Barcelona on Wednesday, really have to go all-in on the Liga: they're leading Barcelona by five points, and considering both sides' form, this might be Madrid's best shot for a trophy. Part of that process will be beating strong mid- to high-level sides like Marcelo Bielsa's Athletic Bilbao.
Pick: 3-2 to Real Madrid.
Monday, January 23
Villarreal vs. Sporting Gijón
22:00 CET (4:00 PM EST)
Villarreal is finally on the upswing, and while it’s definitely too late for this to be anything but a lost season, it’s not too late to keep them from having to engage in a relegation battle. And, of course, all of that momentum could change immediately if they lose to will-be-relegated-soon Sporting.
Pick: 1-1 draw.
See More:
