Soccer

La Liga schedule and preview, Week 20: Ignore the rest, watch the best (game)

Don’t bother watching the usual suspects, make sure you tune in for the weekend’s best match that doesn’t involve one of the big three.

by Zach Woosley

Jan 23, 2015, 9:00 PM UTC

Denis Doyle/Getty Images

The 20th week of play in La Liga offers up a really interesting matchup. It's an extremely important game in the table, and it will have potential European implications. The trouble is, the mainstream media will probably ignore it, because it doesn't involve Real Madrid, Barcelona or Atlético Madrid.

If you can only carve out time for one Spanish football match this weekend, make sure it's the meeting between 4th place Sevilla and 5th place Valencia on Sunday. The two sides are separated by just a point, have quite the history (including last season's Europa League final won by Sevilla), and should be ready for a fantastic match. Sevilla are coached by former Valencia boss Unai Emery, a loathed man by Los Che's sometimes cranky fan base, so that will add another layer to the match.

There are a ton of story lines, and both teams are capable of playing entertaining football. It’s worth your time, but there’s a catch ... isn’t there always?

beIN Sports, the broadcast rights holder for La Liga in the USA, isn’t putting the match on its English language channel. It will only be available on the Spanish channel, or their notoriously buggy online service, beIN Connect. Give it a shot though if you have access to either, it’s worth the trouble.

PLUS, it’ll be over with time to have dinner before the WWE Royal Rumble!

As for the top teams in the table, don’t bother. Seriously, go outside on Saturday, spend time with your friends and family, do anything other than watch these games. Barcelona faces Elche for the umpteenth time this month (thanks to Copa del Rey matches), and since the combined scoreline in the first two games was 9-0, with Barca playing weakened sides ... you get the idea.

Real Madrid face a Córdoba side that's unbeaten in its last three matches, but this is Madrid and they're playing much better again. As for Atléti, their mid table opponent Rayo Vallecano could trip them up if Diego Simeone's side is too focused on its upcoming Copa dey Rey second leg match against Barca, but even if that happens, it probably will be a dull affair.

So like I said, go outside or something.

Here’s the full schedule of matches for week 20.