Leaders Barcelona are keen to return to winning ways and maintain their four-point gap at the La Liga summit as we head into round 28 this weekend. 

Barcelona had to wait until the last minute for a Lamine Yamal penalty to rescue a point for them in a 1-1 draw against Newcastle in midweek. The Catalan giants are however on a three-match winning streak in La Liga. 

Real Madrid are still their closest challengers in what seems as a two-team race for the title. Alvaro Arbeloa’s charges are in second with 63 points after an important 2-1 win against Celta Vigo last matchday. 

Atletico Madrid and Villarreal are in third and fourth place respectively, level with 54 points as they also prepare for crucial ties this weekend. 

With all teams in action, we have a look at some of the key games scheduled and we offer our predicted outcomes. 

ALSO READ: UEFA Europa League last 16 predictions: Match previews, key stats, current form & h2h

Alaves vs Villarreal – Friday, 11PM

New Alaves coach Quique Sanchez Flores is searching for his first win in charge, after losing 3-2 to Valencia in his first game. The defeat means that the hosts are now without a win in their last six games. 

They come into the game in 16th place with 27 points, two above the dreaded relegation zone. They take on a fourth place Villarreal side with 54 points. 

The yellow submarine were 2-1 winners against Elche in their last match and have now won three of their last five La Liga matches. They also hold a slight advantage, winning two of the last five head-to-head matches against Alaves – losing just once. 

Villarreal were 3-1 winners the last time they met in January and are favorites to complete the league double over their opponents. 

Prediction – Both teams to score – CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME! 

Atletico Madrid vs Getafe – Saturday, 6:15PM

A confident Atletico are looking to make it four straight La Liga wins when they host Getafe at the Wanda Metropolitano. They are coming off a morale-boosting 5-2 victory against Tottenham in the first leg of their Champions League knockout clash. 

Despite being in third, Atleti are nine points adrift of their city rivals Real Madrid. The visiting Getafe are in ninth with 35 points – as they also seek a third consecutive league victory. 

Getafe stunned Real Madrid 1-0 at the Bernabeau before another impressive 2-0 home win against Betis. They will fancy their chances of a positive result here. 

Barcelona’s Spanish forward #19 Lamine Yamal (L) and Atletico Madrid’s Spanish midfielder #08 Pablo Barrios fight for the ball during the Spanish Copa del Rey (King’s Cup) semi-final second leg football match between Club Atletico de Madrid and FC Barcelona at Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid on April 2, 2025. PHOTO | AFP

Atletico have won four of the last five matches they have played against Getafe, including a 1-0 win in the reverse fixture last November. Despite Getafe’s recent resurgence, the hosts remain favorites to win here. 

Prediction – Atletico to win – CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME! 

Real Madrid vs Elche – Saturday, 11PM 

Madrid could not beat Elche in the reverse fixture last November, with the now injured Jude Bellingham scoring late to salvage a point in a thrilling 2-2 stalemate. They are under pressure to win here and keep up the pressure on Liga leaders Barca. 

Elche are in 17th place with 26 points, just one above the drop zone. They have now gone a staggering 11 games without a win and it is more than likely they will not get all three points here. 

Elche lost 2-1 to Villarreal in their last league game, while Madrid are coming off a remarkable 3-0 first leg victory against Manchester City in their Champions League knockout test. Federico Valverde’s first half hat-trick inspired the win ahead of the second leg next week. 

Prediction – Real Madrid to win – CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME! 

ALSO READ: Hyundai’s Neuville warns of surprises after setting early pace at WRC Safari Rally 2026

Barcelona vs Sevilla – Sunday, 6:15PM 

A win for the hosts here will be a fourth league in a row, after a slim 1-0 victory against Athletic Bilbao in match day 27. They followed this up with a 1-1 draw against Newcastle in the Champions League. 

They face a 14th place Sevilla side who are unbeaten in their last five La Liga games. They are coming off back-to-back draws against Betis and Rayo Vallecano as they continue their steady rise up the table. 

Sevilla will find confidence in the fact that they destroyed Barcelona 4-1 in the reverse fixture in October 2025. This the only win they have had against Barca since 2021. 

Barca are favorites to get their revenge here and get yet another home win to extend their remarkable record. The Catalan giants have not lost at home since last October – 17 matches. 

Prediction – Barcelona to win – CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME! 

Betis vs Celta Vigo – Sunday, 8:30PM 

Fifth place Betis are coming off a 2-0 defeat to Getafe and need to bounce back here to maintain their place in the standings.  The defeat was a first in their last five matches and they come into this game as hot favorites. 

Celta’s impressive four-match winning streak was halted in a 2-1 loss to Real Madrid in round 27 and remain in sixth place with 40 points – just three behind their hosts. 

The visitors have also been more successful in the recent head-to-head matches, winning twice and losing just once to Betis since 2023. The reverse fixture last August resulted in a 1-1 draw and both sides have rather fully fit squads to choose from. 

Prediction – Betis to win – CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME!

Leave a Reply

Discover more from Kenya's sports news, betting and casino updates | SportPesa Kenya blog

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading