MADRID, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The 'Clasico' between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona is the highlight of this weekend's La Liga action, as league leaders Real Madrid aim to protect their three-point lead at the top of the table at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Saturday.
Real Madrid enter the match fresh from a 5-2 victory over Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday. They have the advantage of an extra 24 hours to prepare compared to Barca, who defeated Bayern Munich 4-1 on Wednesday night.
Madrid, however, suffered a double injury setback on Tuesday, with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois sidelined due to a groin injury and forward Rodrygo out with a hamstring strain.
Barcelona have no new injury concerns following their Wednesday match but will be without the defensive trio of Andreas Christensen, Ronald Araujo, and Eric Garcia. Fit-again Gavi is expected to play a role in the game.
The weekend kicks off on Friday night, with Sevilla looking to recover from their 5-1 loss to Barcelona last weekend. Francisco Garcia Pimienta's side travels back to Barcelona to face Espanyol, who themselves were beaten 4-1 in Bilbao. Sevilla will be without injured wingers Suso and Chidera Ejuke, with Ejuke expected to be sidelined until the New Year with a severe hamstring tear.
Alaves head to Rayo Vallecano hoping to break a four-match losing streak, still frustrated by a critical penalty decision in their 3-2 home defeat to Valladolid last weekend. Veteran striker Kike Garcia and defender Abdel Abqar will miss the trip to Vallecas due to suspension.
Valladolid, buoyed by their win at Alaves, face a challenging home match against fourth-place Villarreal, who are dealing with a lengthy injury list, including key players Gerard Moreno and top scorer Ayoze Perez.
Girona celebrated a significant milestone with their first-ever Champions League win against Slovan Bratislava on Tuesday but paid a heavy injury price, with 11 first-team players affected. Coach Michel Sanchez had only two first-team players on the substitutes' bench on Tuesday and then saw Ivan Martin and Donny van de Beek pick up further injuries. Neither is expected to travel for the match against Las Palmas.
Las Palmas broke a 23-game winless streak in La Liga dating back to February, winning 3-2 in Valencia in Diego Martinez's debut as coach. They now aim to build on that result.
The defeat left Valencia at the bottom of the table, mired in both a sporting and social crisis, as opposition to club owner Peter Lim continues to grow. Coach Ruben Baraja is in desperate need of a win as they visit Getafe - a team known for having the least ball-in-play time among all 20 La Liga clubs. Valencia will be without suspended midfielder Pepelu.
Celta Vigo welcome back Iago Aspas and Ilaix Moriba from suspension for their trip to a disciplined but limited Leganes, while Betis host Atletico Madrid in a key test for Diego Simeone's side. Atletico are without defenders Robin Le Normand, Cesar Azpilicueta, and Clement Lenglet and will be looking to bounce back after Wednesday's Champions League loss to Lille.
Real Sociedad face Osasuna in what promises to be a closely contested Basque derby at the Reale Arena. The weekend wraps up on Monday with sixth-placed Mallorca hosting Athletic Club Bilbao, who sit one spot above them in fifth and will appreciate the extra day of rest following Thursday's Europa League match at home against Slavia Prague. ■
