It’s week 21 of the 2022/23 season, and if we start by counting upwards from the bottom of the current LaLiga table, it all starts to get pretty congested around that veinte to treinte mark.
Cádiz’s impressive 2-0 win over Girona last night, to stretch their unbeaten run at the Nuevo Mirandilla to eight games, has seen the Yellow Submarine poke their periscope out of the relegation mire, pushing Voro’s Valencia down into the murky depths on its way up, to join Getafe and Elche at the bottom.
With all three of today’s hosts scrapping to stay afloat, we’re getting our goggles on and taking a closer look at a trio of tasty-looking ties.
15:15 GMT - Almería vs Real Betis
If Almería’s away record was even half as good as their home form, last season’s Segunda champions would be sitting comfortably in mid-table on their return to the Spanish top flight.
Remarkably, 19 of the Andalusian’s 22 points have come at the PowerHorse stadium this season, with only Barcelona and Real Madrid able to better their 17 goals scored in front of their own fans.
Before their defeat in the capital last weekend, Rubi’s side were sensational in a 3-1 win over Espanyol, as winter recruit Luís Suárez grabbed his first goal in Almería’s red and white, linking up excitingly with the lively Adrián Embarba up top.
Slightly stifled in Vallecas, the dangerous duo will be hoping a return to the south coast will bring some better opportunities this weekend, even against a side in the Champions League hunt.
Visitors Real Betis, then, will be under no illusions at the challenge that awaits them, acutely aware that another defeat could be fatal for their top-four aspirations.
Manuel Pellegrini’s men have been on an uncharacteristically rotten run of form, having lost five of their last six games in all competitions, including last weekend’s crazy 4-3 defeat to Celta Vigo.
Still only four points off the top four, with rivals Villarreal, Atlético Madrid and Real Sociedad all slipping up last time out, hope isn’t completely lost for Los Verdiblancos, but you feel a statement win here is very much needed, partially to avoid any other teams from sneaking in and causing a stir.
Following a tough injury spell, a return to the scoresheet for Juanmi last weekend was encouraging to see, joining Fekir, Canales and El Panda from the off to finally reunite that potent quartet.
Expect to see that fired-up front four looking to cause chaos from the off.
17:30 GMT - Sevilla vs Mallorca
For a side who won 14 of their 19 home fixtures last season, Sevilla had to wait until January for their first three points at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán this time around, beating Getafe in a nervy 2-1 triumph five weeks ago.
Fortunately for Jorge Sampaoli, his side have since been able to turn that into a three-game winning streak at their former fortress, dispatching of both Cádiz and Elche to alleviate those scarcely believable relegation fears.
While Los Nervionenses were outclassed at Camp Nou on Sunday, the visit of Mallorca this weekend promises to be a much more even affair, particularly with the islander’s recent struggles away from home.
At Son Moix, however, Javier Aguirre’s warriors have been in inspired form, beating Real Madrid last time out to make it four wins on the bounce in the middle of the Med.
Their grizzled Kosovan striker was once again involved, as Vedat Muriqi’s leap led to a Nacho own goal last weekend, before Predrag Rajković saved superbly to deny Marco Asensio from the spot.
Los Piratas dominated last time these two sides met, accumulating an Expected Goals figure of 1.41 to Sevilla’s 0.18, yet they still managed to lose out, thanks to a 35-yard screamer from Nemanja Gudelj.
With so much on the line at both ends of the table, with Mallorca themselves only three points off the Conference League places, we’re excited for a hotly-contested physical battle between two sides that aren’t afraid to make their presence known.
17:30 GMT - Valencia vs Athletic Club
The last meeting between Valencia and Athletic Club signalled the beginning of the end for Gennaro Gattuso, as a flat 3-1 defeat to today’s Basque opponents saw Los Che crash out of the cup with a disappointing whimper, even amidst the noise of a ferocious full house.
Since then, last season’s Copa finalists have lost three in a row, including a particularly deflating 1-0 defeat to Girona last time out, where they faced an onslaught from their buoyant Catalan hosts.
Voro certainly isn’t a stranger to footballing turmoil, having experienced plenty of commotion throughout his eight interim spells as first-team coach. Nonetheless, the pressure is really starting to ramp up now, especially with every other club in Valencia’s vicinity playing at home this weekend.
The hosts really can’t afford to make it seven games without a win here. A Voro victory is a must.
The visitors, on the other hand, recorded a confidence-boosting 4-1 win over Cádiz on Friday, as talented 22-year-old Oihen Sancet scored a magnificent hat-trick to take his personal tally to seven.
Despite their recent cup win at Mestalla, however, Los Leones haven’t won on the road in LaLiga in their previous seven attempts, last taking three points back to Bilbao when they beat a hapless Elche back in week five.
Following the unfortunate end of Iñaki Williams’ incredible 251-game appearance streak, veteran striker Raúl García has led the line for Ernesto Valverde’s men, and the 36-year-old will certainly be looking to ruffle a few feathers as he prepares to battle it out with an increasingly tetchy Valencia back-line.
With Basque eyes on the European prize, we’re all set for another tantalising tie, promising huge implications at both ends of the table.
That’s all for today’s roundup, make sure to let us know in the comments which game you’re looking forward to the most!