Villarreal travels to the Madrid area to face Getafe on Saturday, with Canada attackers Tani Oluwaseyi and Tajon Buchanan part of the Yellow Submarine squad. Later, Real Madrid hosts in-form Real Sociedad at the Bernabeu.
Getafe vs. Villarreal is scheduled for Saturday at 10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT on TSN+. Real Madrid vs. Real Sociedad follows at 2:30 p.m. ET/11:30 a.m. PT on TSN+.
Villarreal Head To Getafe After Espanyol Win
Villarreal ended a six-match winless run across all competitions on Monday with a 4-1 win over Espanyol at El Madrigal. Georges Mikautadze, assisted by Brampton, Ont.’s Tajon Buchanan, Nicolas Pepe and Alberto Moleiro scored, along with an own goal from Jose Salinas.
The result kept Villarreal in the fight for a top-four place and a return to the Champions League. Marcelino said his team was “solid and competitive” and called Villarreal’s league season “extraordinary and difficult to match.”
Getafe, 11th in the table, also enters after a win. Jose Bordalas’s team beat Alavés 2-0 last Sunday behind goals from Luis Vazquez and a Mauro Arambarri penalty, ending an eight-game winless run in league play that stretched back to a 1-0 victory over Elche on Nov. 28.
Marcelino warned that Getafe’s position does not reflect the difficulty of the matchup, describing them as a side that gives little away, plays direct football and puts opponents under pressure.
Saturday will be Marcelino’s 200th match in charge of Villarreal and the 500th match of his managerial career. The 60-year-old former Athletic Club, Marseille and Valencia manager said he and his staff are proud of the path, noting that two members of his staff have worked with him for more than 20 years.
Villarreal is fourth, with a game in hand on Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico. The Yellow Submarine trail Barca by 12 points and Real Madrid by 11, and are level with Atleti but behind on goal difference. Villarreal won the reverse fixture against Getafe 2-0 in early December, with Buchanan scoring.
Real Sociedad Bring Matarazzo’s Unbeaten Run To Bernabeu
Real Sociedad fired Sergio Francisco on Dec. 14 after a home loss to Girona left the club 15th. On Dec. 20, the club hired Wayne, NJ native Pellegrino Matarazzo, making him the first American manager in La Liga history.
Since Matarazzo’s arrival, Erreala has not lost. Real Sociedad is unbeaten in 11 matches across all competitions, a run that includes a league victory over leaders Barca and a first-leg win over Athletic Club in their Copa del Rey semi-finals tie.
Matarazzo praised the balance his team showed in the 1-0 win over Athletic Club, saying they needed fire and aggression without the ball and calm in possession. He also said Real Sociedad played with bravery, a quality they will need again at the Bernabeu.
Real Madrid enters with five straight league wins, including a 2-0 victory over Valencia in their last match. Alvaro Carreras and Kylian Mbappé scored for Los Blancos.
Manager Alvaro Arbeloa said Real Madrid understands the challenge posed by a Real Sociedad side that is unbeaten under its new coach and has already faced Barcelona and Atletico in that stretch. Arbeloa has been in charge for one month since the sacking of Xabi Alonso, winning five of seven matches, with the two defeats coming in Copa del Rey and Champions League play.
Asked Friday for an assessment of his first 30 days as manager, Arbeloa said he was not interested in making one. The World Cup and Euro winner with Spain said he feels privileged to coach Real Madrid and has “a lot of energy” for the matches ahead.
Real Madrid won the reverse fixture in September, overcoming a 32nd-minute red card to Dean Huijsen to beat Real Sociedad 2-1. Mbappé and Arda Güler scored for Madrid, while Mikel Oyarzabal converted Sociedad’s penalty.
While Real Madrid remains in the title race, Real Sociedad is chasing a European place. Currently eighth on 31 points, Erreala trail Espanyol by three points for a Europa Conference League spot. Prior to this season, Sociedad had reached European competition in five straight seasons and escaped the group stage in each of those campaigns.