La Liga Week 13 match day preview

Real Madrid holds on tight to 1st place in La Liga as Barcelona viciously chase the top spot just 3 points behind the league leaders before this week's set of matches kick off.

Barcelona vs Athletic Bilbao preview

Barcelona are gearing up for victory in a freshly reconstructed Camp Nou as players return from World Cup qualifiers to take on Athletic Club this Saturday at 10:15 am EST. The Catalans (-225 this matchup) seek as many points as possible since their 2-1 defeat to Madrid on October 26. Following their step down to 2nd place in the league, they'd uphold a 3-1 win over Elche on November 2 to start the month with high morale, although a 3-3 draw to Club Brugge in the UEFA Champions League would dampen spirits and put them at 11th place on the UCL ladder. Their most recent match however, saw a 4 goals sneak past Celta Vigo, and a Robert Lewandowski hat-trick (7 goals in 9 games) along with a Lamine Yamal insurance goal.

Athletic Club (+550 this weekend) are by no means out of this one, as they find themselves in 7th place in La Liga with a 5-2-5 record and 17 points. Their recent 2-0 loss to Newcastle in the Champions League on November 5 put a dampener on their efforts, but the Spanish side entered the international break after achieving a crucial 1-0 victory over Oviedo, with a 25' goal from Nico Williams, who scored his 2nd of the season. Athletic Club will need some buzzing offense tonight, as the Catalans will be fired up at their newly improved home stadium, with much of team returning from aiding the Spanish National team in qualifying for a spot in the 2026 World Cup.

Getafe vs Atletico Madrid preview

Getafe sit right in 8th place in La Liga with 17 points and a 5-2-5 record to match Athletic Bilbao's. While the team was looking promising at the end of end of October with a 2-1 win over Girona, they'd fall to Mallorca on November 9 before the break after Vedat Muriqi netted the game winner very early on in the 14'. The Azules take home field advantage against Atletico this Sunday, although they are marked as +380 underdogs with how in form Atletico have been in recent games.

Atletico Madrid (-130 this matchup) have gone undefeated their last 4 matches in La Liga since their 4-0 defeat to Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League. They've only dropped points from draws, and haven't lost a domestic league match yet this season, winning their last 3 games in a row starting with a 2-0 win over Real Betis, into a 3-0 win over Sevilla, and recently a 3-1 win over Levante, where Atletico's Antoine Griezmann netted a game winning brace. Striker Julian Alvarez continues to lead his team in goals with 7 so far this season, and could be a key component to Atletico's victory on the road this Sunday at 12:30 pm EST.

Elche vs Real Madrid preview

Eleventh-place Elche (15 points and a 3-6-3 record) hold strong against Real Madrid at home to conclude the weekend of La Liga matches this Sunday at 3:00 pm EST. Their first round Copa del Rey match was a real haymaker, as they netted 4 unanswered goals against Los Garres on October 29. On November 2 in La Liga, Rafa Mir would score 1 against against Barcelona, but the side would ultimately fall 3-1 by the end of 90'. Elche would then enter the international break with a crucial 1-1 draw to Real Sociedad after Alvaro Rodriguez led the scoring in the 57' but Los Franjiverdes just couldn't hold on to the lead. They find themselves as major underdog at +600 odds to win this Sunday afternoon as they'll need to endure the onslaught of 1st place Madrid.

Real Madrid (-270 this weekend) started November strong with a convincing 4-0 win over Valencia, only to fizzle out with 0 goals against Liverpool in a 1-0 UEFA Champions League defeat to the Reds on November 4. Their struggles continued with another scoreless 0-0 draw most recently to Rayo Vallecano on November 9th before the break, causing the Royal Whites to drop points yet still remain in 1st with 31 points and a 10-1-1 record. Star striker Kylian Mbappe will need to reignite Madrid's scoring (as he likely will) to add to his tally of 13 goals on the season, and give Madrid hopes of extending their 1st place lead over rivals of FC Barcelona at the end of week 13 of La Liga fixture.

Tune into the first La Liga match this Friday at 3 pm EST and be sure to stay tuned for more news on this weekends round of Spanish soccer.