MADRID, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Eight of the games in a slightly truncated Matchday 31 of La Liga will be played on Sunday due to the final of the Copa del Rey between FC Barcelona and Athletic Club Bilbao on Saturday night.
Barca will play their league game corresponding to Matchday 31 at home to Granada on April 28 while Athletic Club takes on Valladolid in a very relevant match to the visitors' struggle against relegation on the same day.
The round of matches kicks off on Sunday lunchtime with Real Sociedad at home to Sevilla in a game with a lot to say in the race for the title and the battle to qualify for Europe.
Sevilla's thrilling 4-3 win away to Celta Vigo on Monday means they are just six points behind league leaders Atletico Madrid. A run of 13 points from a possible 15 means they have to be seen as outsiders in the race for this season's La Liga title.
Real Sociedad, meanwhile, are fifth and locked in a battle with Villarreal and Betis for a place in next season's Europa League (a battle that will become harder if Athletic Club qualifies by winning the Cup on Saturday).
Atletico Madrid has been dropping points at a worrying rate and now holds just a one-point lead over Real Madrid, with Barca another point behind, but they have to favor their home game against the bottom of the table Eibar.
Eibar visits the Wanda Metropolitano bottom of the table with just 23 points and after 13 league games without a win after their home defeat to Levante last weekend. Even though Luis Suarez and Joao Felix are out for Atletico, Diego Simeone's men are still clear favorites.
Real Madrid makes the short visit to play Getafe, who are not safe from relegation yet after a home defeat to Cadiz last weekend. Madrid goes to the south of the capital after assuring their place in the Champions League's semi-finals on Wednesday. Although they will still be without Lucas Vazquez, Sergio Ramos and probably Raphael Varane, they have every reason to be confident.
The last time Getafe beat Real Madrid was in 2012, and the last time Pepe Bordalas' side scored against them was in March 2018, and it looks as if tiredness with being the main rival for Zinedine Zidane's men.
Elsewhere the battle against relegation takes center stage, with Javier Calleja making his home debut as coach at second from bottom Alaves when they face Huesca. Calleja's side held on for a 0-0 draw in Bilbao last weekend, and with Lucas Perez back after the ostracism he suffered under Abelardo Fernandez, they have more threat in attack.
Rafa Mir will be the main threat for Huesca, who have improved hugely with Pacheta in the dugout, and their 3-1 win at home to Elche last weekend saw them leapfrog Elche to escape the bottom three for the first time in 22 weeks.
That defeat ended Elche's positive trajectory under Fran Escriba. They need to recover from that defeat when they visit Osasuna, who are probably one win from assuring their survival for another year.
Elsewhere Betis takes on Valencia, looking to keep their efforts to qualify for Europe on track after a 1-1 draw at home to Atletico Madrid last week. Valencia striker Maxi Gomez is suspended after his sending off against Real Sociedad a week ago.
An always entertaining Celta Vigo will test Cadiz's solid defense. There is also an east-coast derby as Levante entertains Villarreal, three days after Villarreal qualified for the Europa League's semi-finals. Enditem
