LaLiga matchweek nine: Game-by-game previews

All eyes will be on the El Clasico in Span. Here is all you need to know about LaLiga matchweek nine matches.

RAYO VALLECANO V GETAFE CF

14 OCTOBER

Rayo Vallecano have lost two of their last four games against Getafe in LaLiga (W1 D1) after losing only one of their previous 10 matches against them in the top-flight (W8 D1).

Getafe have lost five of their seven visits to Rayo Vallecano in LaLiga (W2) – they have played more games away from home against Rayo Vallecano in the competition without a draw (7) than against any other opponent.

GIRONA FC V CÁDIZ CF

15 OCTOBER

This will be the first meeting between Girona and Cádiz in LaLiga. The Catalan side have won the last two against the Andalusian side in all competitions, after losing three of their previous four against them (D1).

At home, Girona have won three of their four games in all competitions against Cádiz in the 21st Century (L1), three in Liga SmartBank and one in the Copa del Rey.

Girona have won three of their last six games at home in LaLiga (L3), having gone winless in their previous 11 at Montilivi in the competition (D5 L6).

VALENCIA CF V ELCHE CF

Valencia have won their last three games against Elche in LaLiga – only once previously have they won four or more in a row against them in the top-flight (six between 1976 and 1984).

Valencia have lost only one of their 23 games at home against Elche in LaLiga (W16 D6) – only v Granada (GP26 W23 D3 L0) have they played more home matches in the top-flight suffering one or fewer defeats.

Valencia have won four of their last six games in LaLiga against sides from Comunidad Valenciana (D1 L1), while Elche have lost their last three such matches in the competition, failing to score in all of them.

RCD Mallorca v Sevilla FC

Mallorca have failed to win their last four games against Sevilla in LaLiga (D2 L2) but the last two finished level – they have drawn 19 games against Sevilla in LaLiga, against no opponent have they drawn more games in the competition (level with Osasuna).

After winning only one of their first 12 visits to Mallorca in LaLiga, between 1960 and 1999 (W1 D5 L6), Sevilla have lost only one of their last 14 games away from home against them in the competition (W6 D7 L1).

Mallorca have won only one of their last four home games in LaLiga (D1 L2) after winning three of their previous four at home in the competition (L1).

ATHLETIC CLUB V CLUB ATLÉTICO DE MADRID

Athletic are unbeaten in their last three games against Atlético de Madrid in LaLiga (W2 D1), keeping a clean sheet in the last two – they avoided defeat in four or more in a row against the Madrilenian side in the top-flight for the last time in April 2003 (GP4 W3 D1).

At home, Athletic have avoided defeat in their last four games against Atlético de Madrid in LaLiga (W3 D1), their longest unbeaten run at home against the Red and White team in the competition since December 1991 (GP15 W10 D5).

Atlético de Madrid have lost three of their last five games away from home against sides from País Vasco in LaLiga (W1 D1), only one defeat less than in their previous 18 matches away against such sides in the competition (W10 D4 L4).

RC CELTA DE VIGO - REAL SOCIEDAD

16 OCTOBER

Celta de Vigo have lost their last four games in LaLiga against Real Sociedad, their longest winless run against the txuri-urdin in the competition – after failing to score in their last two against the Basque side, they could fail to score in three successive top-flight matches against them for the first time since March 1983 (3).

Real Sociedad have won their last three games away from home against Celta de Vigo in LaLiga, one more than in their previous 24 away matches against them in the competition (W2 D10 L12).

Celta de Vigo have won their last two games played at Balaídos in LaLiga, keeping a clean sheet in both – they won 3+ in a row without conceding at home in the competition for the last time in March 2006 under Fernando Vázquez (3).

REAL MADRID CF V FC BARCELONA

ElClásico is the most played fixture in LaLiga history with the two sides meeting 184 times in the competition, 76 wins for Real Madrid and 73 for Barcelona and 35 draws, with each team scoring the same number of goals (295).

Real Madrid have won five of their last six matches against Barcelona in all competitions (L1), as many victories as in their previous 18 meetings (W5 D4 L9).

Following their 4-0 win in March 2022, Barcelona have the chance to win two straight games against Real Madrid in LaLiga for the first time since March 2019 under Ernesto Valverde, while they last won back-to-back matches against them without conceding in the competition between November 2009 and November 2010 under Pep Guardiola.

RCD ESPANYOL V REAL VALLADOLID CF

Espanyol have lost their last two games against Real Valladolid in LaLiga, having lost just one of their previous 10 against them in the top-flight (W3 D6) - they have not lost three in a row to them in the competition since November 1963.

After losing their last home game to Real Valladolid, 0-2 in September 2019, Espanyol could lose two straight home games against them for the first time in their top-flight history.

Espanyol have managed just one win in their eight games in LaLiga 2022/23 (D3 L4) - the 12th time they have won just one or none of their first eight games in a top-flight campaign and were relegated in just one of the previous 11 (2019-20 - W1 D2 L5).

REAL BETIS BALOMPIÉ V UD ALMERÍA

Real Betis have lost their last four matches in all competitions against Almeria, two in LaLiga and two in Copa del Rey, since a 2-0 win in LaLiga in May 2009 - the second goal in that game was the 100th conceded by the Almeria side in the top-flight.

At home, Real Betis have lost their last two games against Almería, one in LaLiga and one in the Copa del Rey, having won their previous two at home to Almería, both in LaLiga.

Real Betis have lost just one of their last seven Andalusian derbies at home in LaLiga (W3 D3), 0-2 to Sevilla in November 2021, while Almería have lost just one of their last six away derbies in the competition (W4 D1), 1-2 v Sevilla in May 2015.

VILLARREAL CF V CA OSASUNA

17 OCTOBER

Villarreal have lost their last three games against Osasuna in LaLiga, having won six of their previous seven against the Navarran side in the competition (L1).

Villarreal have lost their last two home games in LaLiga to Osasuna, both 1-2, as many defeats as in their previous 15 home games against the Navarrese in the top-flight (W9 D4).

Villarreal are winless in their last four LaLiga matches (D2 L2), failing to score in three of them, having gone five without losing or conceding in the competition (W4 D1) prior to this run.