La Liga weekend preview | La Liga Schedule

Can Griezmann power Barcelona to their first away victory?
Can Griezmann power Barcelona to their first away victory?

The 3rd gameweek of the 2019-20 La Liga season is nearly upon us and there are plenty of compelling sub-plots to immerse oneself in.

Sevilla get things underway on Friday when they welcome Celta Vigo to the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium. The Andalusian outfit have remained spotless so far and they would hope to continue that run when Fran Escriba’s men come calling.

The other encounter on Friday involves Real Sociedad locking horns with Athletic Bilbao at the San Mames as the home side look to build on their unbeaten start to the term.

Saturday’s action begins with the defending champions, Barcelona travelling to Osasuna. The game has assumed enormous importance over the past week, considering the absence of Lionel Messi and the fact that the Blaugrana have already tasted defeat once away from home despite the campaign being in its nascent stages.

Moreover, Ernesto Valverde’s side’s blues on the road have been well documented over the past season and a half and they would want to disprove that particular notion on Saturday.

Getafe and Levante host Alaves and Real Valladolid respectively in the next set of matches on Saturday with all four teams looking to lay down an early-season marker in furtherance of their objectives for the season ahead.

Real Betis and Leganes round off the action on Saturday with the latter making the trip to the Benito Villamarin. Both sides come into the game having failed to open their accounts and while it would be naïve to term a match at such an early juncture as a potential ‘six-pointer’, the pair would want to gain maximum points from the clash.

Valencia battle RCD Mallorca at the Mestalla on Sunday and the match-up is followed by Granada going toe to toe with Espanyol at the RCDE Stadium.

Atletico Madrid host Eibar as Diego Simeone’s charges look to keep their 100% record intact. The Los Rojiblancos have been impressive and have notched up a couple of victories, scoring two goals and conceding none in the process.

Additionally, their new signings seem to have bought into Simeone’s ideas instantly and that bodes well for Atletico, especially after the major overhaul the squad underwent in the off-season.

Can Real Madrid overcome their long injury list to post a win against Villarreal?
Can Real Madrid overcome their long injury list to post a win against Villarreal?

The week’s action is capped off by Real Madrid visiting Villarreal. The Los Blancos have blown hot and cold in the past couple of games and with an astonishingly long injury list, they look a team in turmoil.

However, Madrid have previously shown the propensity to bounce back from setbacks and that trait adds another layer of intrigue to an already riveting contest.

Thus, the fixtures look primed to enthral the footballing fraternity and one can expect several interesting takeaways to come their way.

Quick Links