LALIGA EA SPORTS Matchday 14 preview

Club football is back, following the November international break. And, there are several big games on the schedule of LALIGA EA SPORTS Matchday 14, such as FC Barcelona’s trip north to take on RC Celta, the regional rivalry match between Girona FC and RCD Espanyol, the capital city clash between CD Leganés and Real Madrid or the first BASQUE DERBY of the season between Athletic Club and Real Sociedad. 

The very first game of the round comes on Friday night, a meeting between Getafe CF and Real Valladolid. Given that both these teams currently sit inside the bottom four, the three points on offer are especially valuable, even at this early stage of the season. 

The first of Saturday’s fixtures should be a special one, as Valencia CF return to Mestalla to play their first match since the devastating DANA storm that hit the city. There were emotional scenes when neighbours Levante UD returned home in LALIGA HYPERMOTION last weekend, and it will be similarly moving when Los Che take to the pitch again, in their case to take on Real Betis. 

Atlético de Madrid are at home for a duel against Deportivo Alavés on Saturday afternoon. All eyes will be on Giuliano Simeone, who was on loan with the Basque outfit last season and who has been playing very well for Los Colchoneros in recent weeks.

At 18:30 CET, there are two matches taking place simultaneously, including a Catalan derby between Girona FC and RCD Espanyol. Although the latter have historically been the second-most successful club in Catalonia behind FC Barcelona, it’s Girona FC who have fared better of late and who are currently competing in UEFA competition. As such, this should be an interesting battle for regional bragging rights. At the same time, there is a battle of the islands, as UD Las Palmas welcome RCD Mallorca to the Estadio de Gran Canaria. Given the passion of those two fanbases, this should be a lively duel in itself. 

On Saturday night, RC Celta and FC Barcelona take centre stage for a game between two of the four top-scoring teams in LALIGA EA SPORTS. Barça just lost away at Real Sociedad before the international break, so will be desperate to return to winning ways in Vigo. However, they’ve often struggled away at RC Celta over the years, and have won just three of their past 10 league visits.  

Four more fixtures follow on Sunday, starting with CA Osasuna vs Villarreal CF. This is a meeting of the clubs entering the matchday in fifth and in fourth position, respectively, so high-quality football should be expected. 

Sevilla FC vs Rayo Vallecano follows, with the Andalusian side keen to bounce back following two consecutive defeats. That’s easier said than done, though, especially as Los Rojiblancos have only won one of their past five meetings with Rayo Vallecano.

Sunday concludes with two more derbies, the first of which is a Madrid derby between CD Leganés and Real Madrid. Although these clubs haven’t met since 2019/20, the last time Lega were in the top division, the southern Madrid side did put together an impressive record against Los Blancos. In fact, Real Madrid failed to win on their past three visits to the Estadio Butarque, playing out two draws and suffering one loss in the Copa del Rey. This weekend’s match is already sold out, so it’ll be interesting to see how Carlo Ancelotti’s men fare this time.

Then, at 21:00 CET on Sunday, it’s time for the first BASQUE DERBY between Athletic Club and Real Sociedad of the 2024/25 campaign. Last season, each of these teams won the home edition of this derby, so the fact that this one is in Bilbao could give Athletic Club the edge. Either way, these teams enter the match with just two points separating them in the table, so it promises to be a competitive and thrilling game to end Matchday 14.