La Liga: What to expect on Matchday 33?

la liga matchday 33

We have arrived at Matchday 33, with only 7 more games left to play. Barcelona is currently leading by 9 points ahead of Real Madrid and 18 points ahead of Villarreal. This midweek round seems to be “quiet”, as there is no big derby. Real Sociedad beat Atlético Madrid on Saturday evening on penalties and won the Copa del Rey. Real Madrid plays against Alavés on Tuesday, and Barcelona hosts Celta Vigo on Wednesday.

Matchday 33

Athletic Bilbao – Osasuna
Mallorca – Valencia
Real Madrid – Alavés
Girona – Real Betis
Elche – Atlético Madrid
Real Sociedad – Getafe
Barcelona – Celta Vigo
Levante – Sevilla
Rayo Vallecano – Espanyol
Real Oviedo – Villarreal

21.04.2026 – Tuesday

On Tuesday, there will be 4 games, early evening, Athletic Bilbao against Osasuna, and Mallorca against Valencia at 7 pm. At 9:30 pm, Girona plays against Real Betis, and Real Madrid hosts Alavés.

Athletic Bilbao – Osasuna

Checking the table, we can see that Bilbao is in 11th place, while Osasuna is in 9th. Bilbao doesn’t have a very good form right now since they lost 4 of their last 5 games. They could only beat Real Betis on the 22nd of March. They lost against Barcelona, Girona, Getafe and Villarreal too.

Osasuna, on the other hand, seems to be in a bit better form with 3 draws, 1 win and 1 loss. Osasuna scored in all their last 5 games. Budimir has scored 16 goals this season and currently sits in third place on the top scorer’s list. If Bilbao can neutralise his play, they can have a better chance of keeping all three points at home.

Athletic Bilbao predicted lineup: Simon – Lekue, Vivian, Laporte, Berchiche – Jauregizar, Ruiz de Galarreta, I. Williams, Sancet, N. Williams – Guruzeta

Osasuna predicted lineup: Herrera – Galan, Boyomo, Herrando, Rosier – Munoz, Moncayola – Munoz, Oroz, Garcia – Budimir

Mallorca – Valencia

This game seems to be a relegation battle. Mallorca is in 15th with 34 points, while Valencia is in 14th with 35 points. It’s very interesting to see that Mallorca’s Muriqi is only 2 goals behind Kylian Mbappé at the top scorers list. He scored 21 of Mallorca’s 39 goals. Valencia’s top scorer Duro seems to be starting on the bench.

Both teams need the 3 points, as relegation is not too far away.

Mallorca predicted lineup: Roman – Maffeo, Valjent, Mascarell, Mojica – Darder, Samu Costa, Morlanes, Torre – Virgili, Muriqi

Valencia predicted lineup: Dimitrievski – Vazquez, Gaya, Tarrega, Rendall – Ramazani, Rodriguez, Ugrinic, Rioja – Sadiq, Beltran

Real Madrid – Alavés

One of Tuesday’s late evening games is Real Madrid – Alavés. Los Blancos are currently in a struggling run, losing against Bayern Münich a week ago and being kicked out of the Champions League. In their last 5 games, they could only beat local rival Atlético Madrid by 3-2. Straight after that, they lost against Mallorca, Bayern Münich, drew against Girona, and then lost again to Münich.

Probably, Mr Perez will thank Alváro Alberoa at the end of the season and look for a new head coach. In the meantime, they are 9 points behind Barcelona in the title race. If we still can call it a race. Madrid desperately needs all points to save their season.

Alavés will have a hard time at the Bernabéu, but they could also score, as they did in their past 5 games. For a more detailed match preview, keep reading Spanish Marchdays, as we are preparing a longer article.

Real Madrid predicted lineup:  Lunin – Trent, Rudiger, Militao, Carreras – Valverde, Bellingham, Tchouameni, Güler – Mbappé, Vinicius Junior

Alavés predicted lineup: Sivera – Parada, Pacheco, Tenaglia, Jonny Otto – Alena, Blanco, Ibanez, Perez – Boye, Martinez

Girona – Real Betis

Looking at the table, this is one of the most interesting fixtures of the round. Girona are currently in 7th place, while Real Betis sit just behind them in 8th. Both sides are pushing for European football next season, so this match could have a big impact on that race.

Girona have been slightly inconsistent in recent weeks, mixing strong attacking performances with frustrating dropped points. They are usually dangerous at home, where they play with confidence and move the ball quickly. Betis, meanwhile, have found decent rhythm lately and remain a very awkward side to face when their creative players are in the mood.

Much could depend on which midfield controls possession. Girona likes to play on the front foot, while Betis are happy to punish mistakes with clever passing and quick transitions. If the game opens up, we could be in for an entertaining evening.

Girona predicted lineup: Gazzaniga – Arnau Martinez, Blind, Krejci, Gutierrez – Herrera, Martin – Tsygankov, Van de Beek, Gil – Stuani

Real Betis predicted lineup: Rui Silva – Bellerin, Bartra, Llorente, Perraud – Cardoso, Fornals – Antony, Isco, Rodriguez – Bakambu

Elche – Atlético Madrid

This match carries importance at both ends of the table. Elche are currently 18th and fighting for survival, while Atlético Madrid are in 3rd place and looking to secure another Champions League finish.

Elche know every point matters now, especially at home. They have shown spirit recently, but results have not always followed. Atlético, on the other hand, remain solid and organised, even if they have not always been spectacular. Simeone will not care much about style if his team leave with three points.

The visitors should have more quality across the pitch, but these are exactly the sort of matches where favourites can become frustrated. If Elche defend well and keeps the score level for long enough, the pressure may slowly shift onto Atlético.

Elche predicted lineup: Badia – Josan, Bigas, Clerc, Salinas – Gumbau, Mascarell, Febas – Nico Castro, Mourad, Tete Morente

Atlético Madrid predicted lineup: Oblak – Molina, Gimenez, Le Normand, Galan – De Paul, Koke, Barrios – Griezmann, Alvarez, Lino

Real Sociedad – Getafe

Real Sociedad are in 6th place and still chasing European qualification, while Getafe sit in mid-table with less pressure but still plenty of pride to play for.

Sociedad have had a mixed form lately, though they remain a strong side at home. Their football is usually patient and technical, with plenty of movement in attacking areas. Getafe, meanwhile, are never easy opponents. They prefer physical battles, compact defending and making matches rather uncomfortable for everyone involved.

This may not be the most glamorous fixture of the week, but it could be a very competitive one. If Sociedad scores early, they should be the favourites. If Getafe drag the game into the final half-hour, things could become tense.

Real Sociedad predicted lineup: Remiro – Traore, Zubeldia, Le Normand, Munoz – Zubimendi, Merino – Kubo, Brais Mendez, Oyarzabal – Oskarsson

Getafe predicted lineup: Soria – Iglesias, Duarte, Alderete, Rico – Maksimovic, Milla, Arambarri – Greenwood, Mayoral, Mata

Barcelona – Celta Vigo

Barcelona come into this match in 1st place and know that every game now feels like a cup final. Celta Vigo are lower in the table, but they are the kind of side capable of causing trouble if underestimated.

Barça have been in strong form recently and continue to rely on a mix of youth and experience. Their home performances have generally been excellent, and they will expect to control possession from the start. Celta, however, can be dangerous on the counter-attack and will likely wait patiently for opportunities.

The longer the game stays level, the more nervous the home crowd may become. If Barcelona score early, it could be a comfortable night. If not, there may be a few dramatic glances at the clock.

Barcelona predicted lineup: Ter Stegen – Kounde, Araujo, Cubarsi, Balde – De Jong, Pedri, Gavi – Yamal, Lewandowski, Raphinha

Celta Vigo predicted lineup: Guaita – Mingueza, Starfelt, Nunez, Ristic – Beltran, De la Torre – Aspas, Bamba, Cervi – Larsen

Levante – Sevilla

Levante are currently battling near the bottom of the table, while Sevilla find themselves in an unfamiliar lower-mid-table position. Not long ago, this would have looked like a mismatch. Now it looks far more balanced.

Levante desperately need points and will treat this as a huge home opportunity. Sevilla have had an inconsistent campaign, capable of strong performances one week and confusion the next. In short, predicting them has become a hobby for brave people only.

The visitors still possess more experience, but Levante’s urgency may level things out. This feels like a tense game where one goal could decide everything.

Levante predicted lineup: Fernandez – Pubill, Vezo, Postigo, Saracchi – Lozano, Oriol Rey, Melero – Cantero, Bouldini, Brugué

Sevilla predicted lineup: Nyland – Navas, Bade, Ramos, Acuna – Soumare, Rakitic – Lukebakio, Suso, Ocampos – En-Nesyri

Rayo Vallecano – Espanyol

Rayo Vallecano are usually a difficult side to face at home, while Espanyol come into this match needing points to keep a distance from the relegation places.

Rayo’s energy and pressing style often make life uncomfortable for visitors. They tend to start quickly and feed off the atmosphere in their stadium. Espanyol, meanwhile, may prefer a calmer approach and try to exploit spaces left behind.

This has the feeling of a close match where small details matter. A defensive mistake or set piece could easily decide the result. Also, do not rule out a few yellow cards for dramatic effect.

Rayo Vallecano predicted lineup: Batalla – Balliu, Lejeune, Mumin, Espino – Valentin, Lopez – Isi, Trejo, Alvaro Garcia – Camello

Espanyol predicted lineup: Garcia – El Hilali, Cabrera, Gomez, Olivan – Gragera, Exposito – Jofre, Melamed, Puado – Braithwaite

Real Oviedo – Villarreal

Real Oviedo have enjoyed a respectable season and now face one of the stronger sides in the division. Villarreal remain focused on qualifying for Europe and know these are the matches they simply need to win.

Oviedo will be motivated by the occasion and backed by a lively home crowd. They are organised and hardworking, which could make things tricky for the visitors. Villarreal, however, usually carries more attacking quality and should create chances if patient enough.

This may be closer than some expect. If Villarreal scores first, they could settle into control. If Oviedo keeps it level deep into the game, the stadium may begin to believe in something memorable.

Real Oviedo predicted lineup: Escandell – Viti, Dani Calvo, Luengo, Abel Bretones – Colombatto, Seoane – Moyano, Cazorla, Sebas Moyano – Alemao

Villarreal predicted lineup: Jorgensen – Foyth, Albiol, Cuenca, Pedraza – Parejo, Comesana – Baena, Gerard Moreno, Pino – Sorloth

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