REAL AND BARCA BUILD MOMENTUM TO EL CLASICO
Real Madrid and Barcelona both won their games over the weekend and will go into Sunday’s much-anticipated El Clasico sharing the lead on 22 points and enjoying good momentum in LaLiga.
Even the manner of their victories against mid-level opponents was similar, dominating in low-key games but unable to score more than once.
However, the biggest difference between Real and Barca is their campaign in the Champions League, with the Catalonian giants having a must-win clash against Inter Milan on Wednesday after two consecutive losses in the competition.
A third loss in four games would leave Barca in danger of being knocked out of the Champions League at the group stage for the second consecutive season and would be a huge blow to its morale ahead of El Clasico.
Real are in a much more comfortable situation for its midweek action. They face Shakhtar in a match that could secure them early qualification to the round of 16 and could even rest some key players ahead of the clash against Barca.
SAMPAOLI HOLDS ATHLETIC IN SEVILLE
New manager Jorge Sampaoli debuted for his second stint with Sevilla on Saturday and his struggling side were able to hold in-form Athletic Bilbao to a 1-1 draw in a match that the visitors dominated.
Led by former Barca manager Ernesto Valverde, Athletic arrived in Seville having won five of its previous seven league games and were the aggressors, even after conceding an early goal.
It kept its cool, managed to tie the match and remained third in the standings on 17 points, one ahead of Atletico Madrid, Betis and Real Sociedad.
Record six-times Europa League winners Sevilla has won only one match in all competitions this season and are 18th on six points, in the relegation zone, after its worst start to a league season since being promoted back to the top flight in 2001.
IN-FORM BRAIS MENDEZ LEADS REAL SOCIEDAD TO ANOTHER VICTORY
Spanish attacking midfielder Brais Mendez is one of the most in-form players in LaLiga right now and his goals are making Real Sociedad fans quickly forget forward Alexander Isak, who left to join Premier League side Newcastle for a club-record 70 million euros ($68.14 million) in the off-season.
Mendez signed with La Real in July from Celta Vigo for 14 million euros and, in a team who are quietly getting on with being very good, has become a scoring machine.
The 25-year-old midfielder has scored in four consecutive LaLiga games, with Real Sociedad winning three straight and climbing to sixth on 16 points, in the European qualification zone.
He has scored six goals in 11 games in all competitions this season, including the winner against Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Europa League.
With five LaLiga goals, he is surrounded by strikers in the top scorers’ list. Vinicius Jr and his former team mate Iago Aspas also have five goals, one behind Espanyol’s Joselu and Betis’s Borja Iglesias, and four from Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski on top.
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