On December 5, San Sebastian will host a key matchup in the 16th round of La Liga: Real Sociedad will face table leaders Real Madrid. Although the season is still in its first half, a victory in this match will be crucial for the title race. Meanwhile, other highlights of the round include Barcelona hosting Real Betis and Sevilla clashing with Villarreal.
The first round of matches will be played on Saturday at 04:00 BST when Granada take on Alaves. Both teams won the Copa del Rey last week and will be looking to continue their winning ways in the weekend's matches. Both teams are currently on the edge of the relegation zone, and every point is crucial for them.
Then, on Saturday night at 21:00, two teams that have won the UEFA Cup will meet, with Sevilla as hosts against Villarreal. In the past four seasons, the two teams have played to three draws, three wins and two losses, and are evenly matched. With Gerard Moreno back from injury, the Yellow Submarine travels to Andalusia with confidence and looking to add to their tally.
Barcelona will face Real Betis at the Camp Nou at 23:15. This is Xavi's fourth game in charge of the Red and Blue, with two wins and a draw in his first three games. This round of matches could be full of drama, and with Real Betis' recent excellent form, this match could be a major test for Xavi's new career.
Defending champions Atletico Madrid will welcome Mallorca to the Wanda Metropolitano at 01:30 on Sunday. Atletico thrashed Cadiz last time out, but Simeone's men have yet to win back-to-back La Liga matches since August. He will be hoping to build on his victory last time out and try to make it back-to-back wins again.
On Sunday at 04:00, the heavyweight clash of the round will take place: Real Sociedad versus Real Madrid. The hosts are currently tied on points with Atletico Madrid, while Real Madrid leads the table with seven points. After 15 rounds of matches, Real Madrid leads the table 9 times, Real Sociedad 5 times and Sevilla 1 time, and this round could be the key to the title race. Real Sociedad's manager Alguacil has an excellent record against Real Madrid: 3 wins, 2 draws and only 2 losses. Facing Carlo Ancelotti, the Italian coach knows that this will be a tough match.
On Sunday night, Rayo Vallecano hosts Espanyol at 21:00 BST. Both promoted teams are having a good season and are currently in the top half of the table. Next up, Elche take on Cadiz at 23:15 GMT, with both teams fighting relegation and both hoping to stay in the top flight this season.
Currently at the bottom of the table, Levante are hoping to make a comeback and escape the relegation zone in this round of matches. Their primary goal is to launch a new round of survival program against Osasuna at 01:30 am BST on Monday. Levante are looking for their third coach of the season and will be led by interim coach Lich in this round. The 36-year-old young Italian coach is passionate about the challenge and even stayed up late to watch Osasuna's footage at short notice.
Celta and Valencia will meet in a match on Monday at 04:00, with the meeting of 2019 exchange shopkeepers Mina and Maxi Gomez leading the way between the two teams' current and former salons. Danish international Daniel Vos will also face his former teammate in this intense match.
The final match of the round will be played on December 7 at 04:00 GMT, with Getafe hosting Athletic Bilbao. With only one defeat in the last five rounds of the league, Getafe will go into the new round in good shape and hope that a win will help them escape the relegation zone.
