News
LUN 08.06.2020
The enthralling excitement of LaLiga SmartBank is back! Following on from the COVID-19 health crisis, the ball gets rolling in a division where fierce competition, intensity and great parity between the teams have always been the dominant features.
The LaLiga SmartBank season resumes on Friday 12 June and picks up from Matchday 32, although prior to that, on Wednesday the 10th, Rayo Vallecano and Albacete will contest the second 45 minutes of their postponed clash. Here's all you need to know to ensure you're all set for the big kick-off.
Promotion battle
In the wake of the Matchday 31 fixtures, which took place back in early March, Cadiz CF remained in pole position. The Andalusians have been top of the tree since the 25th round of games, although a 1-1 stalemate at CD Lugo in their last outing made things even tighter at the summit.
The side to benefit most from Cadiz's draw in Lugo were Real Zaragoza, whose 1-0 away triumph over Malaga CF brought them to within a point of Alvaro Cervera's table-toppers. Meanwhile, the Aragonese outfit hold a five-point advantage on third-placed UD Almeria and SD Huesca in fourth. The two remaining play-off spots are currently occupied by Girona FC in fifth and Elche CF, who sit in sixth.
In terms of the other promotion contenders, the following five teams lie six or fewer points off the final play-off spot: CD Mirandes, Rayo Vallecano (who have a game in hand), Real Sporting, AD Alcorcon and SD Ponferradina.
Relegation scrap
With 11 matchdays to go, the battle to beat the drop promises to serve up plenty of thrills and spills. Real Racing Club Santander, who have collected 28 points and prop up the league table, are in the biggest bother and are whole seven points from hauling themselves out of the drop zone. Sitting directly above the Santander-based outfit are an Extremadura UD side that are four points adrift of safety with 31 points to their name.
The other two teams currently languishing in the relegation zone are Lugo in 20th on 34 points and RC Deportivo, whose 35-point haul puts them in 19th and level with Real Oviedo, who are teetering dangerously above the trapdoor.
In addition to the Asturian side, there are seven other teams who are six or fewer points above the relegation places. The fact that Ponferradina, who have amassed 40 points, are six off the play-off berths and have a six-point buffer on 19th offers a clear indication of the highly congested nature of the second-tier standings.
Who will top the goalscoring charts?
The battle to be crowned as the LaLiga SmartBank's leading marksman would appear to be rather more straightforward. Girona sharpshooter Cristhian Stuani has displayed his goalscoring pedigree with 23 strikes in his 26 outings, a return that averages out at 0.88 goals per game.
In second place in the rankings is Zaragoza hitman Luis Suarez, who has found the net 17 times so far this term. Hot on his heels is Ponferradina's Yuri de Souza, who is one goal worse off.
The list of the top five goal-getters is completed by Alcorcon's Stoichkov (13 goals) and Almeria frontman Darwin Nuñez (12).
© LALIGA - 2020