La Liga Matchday 21 Preview: Minute’s Silence Across Spain; Real Madrid Face Villarreal In Title Race Battle

La Liga will observe a minute of silence before all the fixtures this weekend in Matchday 21, in memory of the victims of two train accidents in Spain over the past week.

At least 43 people lost their lives in southern Spain last Sunday when a high-speed train derailed after jumping the track, causing a second train travelling in the opposite direction to also derail.

Among the victims was the father of Getafe player David Cordon. Getafe face Girona on Monday, though Cordon will be unavailable due to injury.

This was followed by another fatal incident on Tuesday, when a commuter train outside Barcelona struck a retaining wall that collapsed, killing one person.

La Liga Matchday 21: Key Matches

Coming off a 6-1 win over Monaco in the UEFA Champions League, Alvaro Arbeloa’s Real Madrid will travel to Villarreal on Saturday. A win for second-placed Madrid would allow them to leapfrog FC Barcelona and reclaim the top spot, at least temporarily, before the league leaders host Real Oviedo on Sunday.

Third-placed Villarreal, who have played one game fewer, trail Madrid by seven points. Saturday’s home clash, therefore, is a vital – and possibly final – chance to keep their fading title hopes alive.

Barcelona, meanwhile, will look to respond after last weekend’s defeat at Real Sociedad when they face lowly Real Oviedo. Last week’s loss ended Hansi Flick’s side’s 11-match winning streak, and the Blaugrana will look to regain momentum.

Real Sociedad, ninth in the table, host Celta Vigo on Sunday and remain unbeaten in four matches across La Liga and the Copa del Rey under new American head coach Pellegrino Matarazzo.

La Liga Matchday 21: Players To Watch

Vinícius Junior arrives in top form for Real Madrid, getting one goal and three assists in the rout of Monaco on Tuesday. The Brazilian had been targeted by jeers from sections of the fanbase due to poor performances and reports that he did not support now former coach Xabi Alonso.

Brahim Diaz is expected to return to Madrid training on Thursday after helping Morocco reach the Africa Cup of Nations final, where they lost 1-0 to Senegal. Brahim will look to vanquish the memory of his horrible stoppage-time penalty miss that could have secured a win for Morocco.

Meanwhile, Fermin Lopez continues to impress for Barcelona, amid links to Chelsea during the summer transfer window. The midfielder has now scored 10 goals across all competitions, including two in a 4-2 win away at Slavia Prague.

La Liga Matchday 21: Injury Issues

Barcelona will be without midfielder Pedri, who suffered a right hamstring injury during the win in Prague and was substituted early in the second half. The club has yet to confirm the severity of the injury or provide a timeline for his return.

(With AP Inputs)