Real Madrid and Barça to mount pressure on surprise LaLiga leaders Girona

SPORT

During the pause, it’s Girona FC who have stood tall at the top of the table, as the Catalan club currently has 34 points ahead of Real Madrid's 32 and FC Barcelona's 30. 

The first game of the weekend involves a team that is at the opposite end of the table, as 15th-placed Deportivo Alavés host 19th-ranked Granada CF.

READ: WATCH: Van Wyk returns as Ellis names Banyana Banyana squad for Burkina Faso Wafcon clash

These are two of the teams that came up from the lower tier, and they’ve had mixed starts to the new season.

Elsewhere, The clash between Valencia CF and RC Celta will be a special game for coach Rafa Benítez, who’ll return to the stadium where he won two LaLiga titles with Valencia at the beginning of the century.

In the opposite dugout, the current RC Celta boss will find one of his former players, Rubén Baraja, so all eyes will be on the sidelines at the start of this contest.

READ: Bafana coach Hugo Broos makes excuses after shock defeat to Rwanda

The action then returns to Madrid, specifically to Getafe CF’s Coliseum for their duel with UD Almería. 

Almería are still chasing their first league win of the season, but will travel to the capital aware that Getafe CF haven’t lost since September.

Of course, Diego Simeone is the main man at the Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano these days, and the Argentine will seek what would be an 18th consecutive home win.

Atletico de Madrid coach Diego Simeone will rely on French striker Antoine Griezmann for goals when they face RCD Mallorca on Saturday.

LaLiga ContentHub

The last fixture of the weekend is at the home of the leaders Girona FC, who’ll look to keep up their incredible run when Athletic Club come to town. 

READ: Netflix documentary captures Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies' remarkable journey

Given that the Basques enter the matchday in fifth place, this will be one of the toughest tests so far for Míchel’s side, but Girona have been the surprise package of the season so far and will target what would be a sixth win in a row on Monday night.