Coaches Facing Dismissal, Key Matches in La Liga's 26th Round
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Synopsis
This weekend's 26th round of La Liga could see significant changes at the top of the table as Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid compete for dominance, putting several coaches at risk of dismissal.
Key Takeaways
- Critical clashes for title contenders this weekend.
- Las Palmas coach Diego Martinez under pressure.
- Atletico Madrid faces a strong Athletic Bilbao.
- FC Barcelona's squad rotation anticipated against Real Sociedad.
- Alaves and Mallorca battle in a crucial match for both coaches.
Madrid, Feb 27 (NationPress) The 26th round of La Liga this weekend might lead to significant shifts at the top of the standings, as Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid vie for supremacy, placing numerous coaches in jeopardy.
The coach of Las Palmas, Diego Martinez, is in particularly precarious position as his team has fallen into the relegation zone following six defeats in their last seven league matches. Martinez desperately needs a victory away at Valladolid, a team increasingly appearing doomed after suffering a heavy 7-1 defeat against Athletic Club last weekend.
Saturday showcases two pivotal clashes in the title race: Real Madrid travels to face Real Betis, while Atletico Madrid welcomes Athletic Club, as reported by Xinhua.
Real Madrid has little time to recuperate from their Copa del Rey semifinal in San Sebastian on Wednesday night and will again be missing the suspended Jude Bellingham. On the other hand, Betis will have winger Antony back after his red card against Getafe was temporarily lifted due to an appeal. Although Madrid has been performing well, Betis' Benito Villamarin Stadium poses a challenging environment for securing a favorable result.
Atletico faces Athletic Bilbao at the Metropolitano Stadium, buoyed by their thrilling 4-4 Copa del Rey semifinal draw against Barcelona on Tuesday. Athletic remains unbeaten across their last 16 league fixtures but will be without top scorer Oihan Sancet due to injury. Both Madrid clubs also have Champions League last-16 matches scheduled for next Tuesday, introducing uncertainty regarding their starting lineups.
In other Saturday matches, Girona will host an improving Celta Vigo, while Rayo Vallecano will face Sevilla in a duel between two teams aiming for European qualification.
On Sunday, FC Barcelona will take on Real Sociedad at Montjuic, with squad rotations anticipated following midweek Copa del Rey matches. Robert Lewandowski is expected to return to lead Barca's attack, while Fermin Lopez may also start as coach Hansi Flick aims to keep the league leaders fresh. Real Sociedad will miss Take Kubo, Sheraldo Becker, and Igor Zubeldia, all serving suspensions. Barca is likely to maintain their high defensive line, but conceding two late goals against Atletico in the Copa suggests Flick may need a "Plan B" to prevent fatigue from affecting his squad.
Sunday's matches will also see Alaves visiting Mallorca, where a loss could spell the end for coach Eduardo Coudet, especially after last weekend's home defeat to Espanyol left his team second from the bottom.
Leganes will host Getafe in a South Madrid derby, needing to break a five-match winless streak that has left them in a precarious situation. Osasuna is set to take on Valencia, where Giorgi Mamardashvili's recent struggles might open the door for Stole Dimitrievski to start in goal for the visitors, who are battling relegation. The matchday wraps up on Monday with Villarreal hosting Espanyol. Fifth-place Villarreal will be hoping Athletic drops points at the Metropolitano, providing them an opportunity to close the gap on fourth place in La Liga.
