Madrid, Jan 1 (NationPress) La Liga resumes this weekend following a one-week Christmas break, featuring a complete schedule of matches ahead of the upcoming Spanish Supercup involving Athletic Club Bilbao, Atletico Madrid, FC Barcelona, and Real Madrid, set to take place in Saudi Arabia next week.

The action kicks off on Friday night with the Madrid derby, where Rayo Vallecano hosts Getafe. Both teams are eager for a win, as Rayo's last league victory was back in October, while Getafe finds itself in 11th place after a string of three defeats, missing their key player Borja Mayoral.

On Saturday, the highlight is the Barcelona derby as Espanyol faces league leaders FC Barcelona. This encounter is expected to be particularly intense, according to reports from Xinhua.

Currently sitting fifth in the standings, Espanyol enters the match on a high note after five consecutive victories and a close 2-1 win in Bilbao, fueling their hopes for a crucial three points against their city rivals.

Barcelona is bracing for a challenging atmosphere in Cornella. Coach Hansi Flick welcomes back Pedri, although Gavi, Andreas Christensen, and Dani Olmo remain sidelined.

The action continues with Celta Vigo hosting Valencia, where Valencia is aware that a loss could see them drop into the relegation zone. Celta, in great form, has climbed to seventh in La Liga and will look to leverage their break.

Osasuna aims for their third consecutive home victory as they take on Athletic Club Bilbao, who are struggling with injuries affecting key players like Yuri Berchiche and Aymeric Laporte.

Elche, fresh off a 4-0 triumph against Rayo Vallecano, will face Villarreal, who are also dealing with multiple absentees including Renato Veiga and Pape Gueye.

Two new coaches will make their debuts on Sunday: Luis Castro for Levante, who faces Sevilla, and Pellegrino Matarazzo at the helm of Real Sociedad against Atletico Madrid.

With three losses and a draw, Real Sociedad is precariously positioned above the relegation zone, while Atletico, featuring talents like Antoine Griezmann and Alexander Sorloth, is set to provide a formidable challenge.

Real Madrid will confront Betis at the Santiago Bernabeu in a potentially difficult match as Xabi Alonso seeks to secure his position amidst injury woes, notably the absence of Kylian Mbappe, who sustained a knee injury on Wednesday. Other injured players include Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dani Carvajal, and Eder Militao, while Brahim Diaz is impressing at the African Cup of Nations.

Lastly, Mallorca will host Girona in a clash of teams battling relegation, and Alaves faces Oviedo, who recently parted ways with forward Salomon Rondon as new coach Guillermo Almada aims to rejuvenate a struggling side that has managed only seven goals this season.