MADRID, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Real Madrid entertain Atletico Madrid in the Madrid derby which promises to be the standout game of Spain's Matchday 7 this weekend.
Atletico cross town after three straight wins, while Real Madrid were thrashed 3-0 away to Sevilla on Wednesday night and know that a defeat would very much set the alarm bells ringing in the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
The game will see Real keeper Thibaut Courtois face his former club for the first time since joining in August, while Julen Lopetegui has to decide whether he maintains Marcelo at left back after his woeful performance in midweek.
Atletico will be led by Antoine Griezmann and Diego Costa and although Costa hasn't scored in his last 13 league appearances, he did net twice as Atletico kicked off the campaign with a 4-2 win over their neighbors in the European Supercup in August and his battles with Sergio Ramos are always going to entertain.
FC Barcelona can take little pleasure from Real's midweek defeat as they were beaten by bottom of the table Leganes and the pressure is starting to build on coach Ernesto Valverde given they could only draw their last home game against Girona.
With a difficult Champions League trip to play Tottenham in midweek, Valverde must again consider squad rotations, when Barca take on his former club, Athletic Club Bilbao on Saturday afternoon.
Athletic have the unenviable record of 14 straight league defeats in the Camp Nou and travel to Barcelona after a 3-0 home defeat to Villarreal, although coach Eduardo Berizzo will recall striker Aritiz Aduriz, Markel Susaeta, Yeray Alvarez and Dani Garcia, all of whom missed out on Wednesday.
The weekend begins on Friday night as Rayo Vallecano look for their first home win of the season against Espanyol , who are currently sixth after a positive start to the campaign.
Real Sociedad also want their first home win as Valencia visit the refurbished Anoeta Stadium. Dani Parejo returns after suspension for Valencia who have yet to win a league game this campaign.
Sevilla take the feel good factor from their victory against Real Madrid to Eibar's Ipurua Stadium, where last season the Basque side inflicted a 5-1 defeat on Saturday's visitors.
Huesca started life in the Liga Santander well with 4 points from their first two games, but a run of four defeats has stopped them in their tracks. Leo Franco's men need a result when a slightly erratic Girona visit them on Sunday lunchtime.
Both Villarreal and Valladolid aim to build on midweek wins when they face each other in Villarreal's El Madrigal Stadium. Valladolid travel boosted by their first win of the season on Thursday and a fightback from 3-1 down to claim a point against Celta Vigo last weekend.
Alaves missed the chance to go joint top when they were held by Getafe on Thursday, but the team from Vitoria will fancy their chances against Levante who were Valladolid's victims on Thursday and lost their last home game 6-2 against Sevilla.
Betis entertain Leganes after Leganes' 2-1 win over Barcelona, while the round of games finishes with an always difficult to beat Getafe visiting Celta Vigo on Monday night.
