The Holiday break is right around the corner but before they get there Barcelona will have to address two key games at the Camp Nou, including Saturday’s date with Cordoba. Barcelona has overcome some key injuries to advance to the Round of 16 in the Champions League and they have looked good in La Liga, too, as they are within striking distance of Real Madrid at the top. They’ll have a chance to move one step closer this weekend while facing a team that’s treading near the bottom of the table. Here is a quick look at the three most highly anticipated games in the Spanish Primera for this week.
Barcelona vs. Cordoba — Saturday, 10:00 a.m. ET
Odds: Barcelona -4590, Cordoba +2639, Draw +1740
Plenty has been made of why Neymar turned down a potential move to Manchester City, which includes the somewhat bizarre reasoning of England’s pitches being too muddy. While that makes him sound like a bit of a princess, the bottom line is that he may eventually have to deal with them in Champions League play. At any rate, he might not be on the pitch this week because of an existing injury issue but it shouldn’t really matter.
Neymar skipped Barcelona’s trip to Getafe because of a sore left ankle and there is a good chance he will miss this game as well since this is expected to be a cakewalk. Louis Enrique has enough talent on his roster to more than make up for the loss in a must-win game for Barcelona. Cordoba is one of the weaker teams in La Liga and even if you don’t follow the games, you can tell by the odds. Barcelona is a whopping -4590 favorite.
What makes this game worth watching is another chance to see Lionel Messi and company put together a convincing win while securing an important three points in the La Liga race. Anything less than a two-goal win here might set off police sirens. Pick: Barcelona
Eibar vs. Valencia — Saturday, 1:00 p.m. ET
Odds: Valencia +106, Eibar +259, Draw +226
Barcelona has enough talent to get the job done against much weaker teams even though they are at less than full strength. The same cannot be said for the other teams teams contending for a Champions League spot. They have no room for error the rest of the way. That includes a Valencia side that is just two points back of Sevilla for fourth spot in the table. This week, they’ll have the challenging task of going head to head against Eibar. Valencia has finally found its scoring touch while tallying a combined seven goals in back-to-back games against Rayo Vallecano. They can’t afford to take their foot off the gas this week with the chance to jump over Sevilla in the La Liga standings. Pick: Valencia
Athletic Bilbao vs. Atletico Madrid — Sunday, 2:00 p.m. ET
Odds: Atletico Madrid +119, Athletic Bilbao +242, Draw +211
Atletico Madrid is coming off a 1-0 loss at home to Villarreal on Sunday, which was quite disheartening. That was their first home loss of the La Liga season and is a major blow for a club that is now seven points back of Real Madrid for top spot. They need every point they can get and blowing opportunities like that will catch up with them.
Mario Mandzukic nearly helped them rally for a point against Villareal but the reality is they have lacked the necessary scoring touch to compete with the two teams ahead of them. Until they show signs of life up front, they will have a tough time trying not to lose more ground. Athletic Bilbao has been a middle of the tier team all season and they could provide the perfect opportunity for Atletico to get back on track with a win. The lack of goal scoring will remain an issue but Madrid should be able to find a way to rebound and secure three points in an important match up. Pick: Atletico Madrid
