LaLiga Matchday 25 preview: A Basque derby rounds off a super Sunday

<p>Everything is still in the airin LaLiga Santander right now, with just over one third of the season remaining. The title tussle is captivating, the race towards Europe is heating up and the fight to avoid relegation is as unpredictable as ever.</p>, <p>And this weekend’s action throws up several huge fixtures at all levels of the table.</p>, <p>The first match of the round takes place on Friday night when Elche CF host Rayo Vallecano. These are two teams moving in opposite directions; Elche have the joint-third-best record over the past six matches, while Rayo Vallecano have the fourth-worst record over the same time period. The capital city side won the meeting earlier in the season, but the Verdiblancos will be confident coming into this one.</p>, <p>Saturday starts off with two of the candidates for Champions League qualification playing on the road. Villarreal CF are first up and will look to keep up their good recent form when they visit Granada CF at the Nuevo Estadio de Los Cármenes, where they haven’t lost since 2014. Atlético de Madrid, meanwhile, pay a visit to CA Osasuna, with last year’s champions looking to end a run of five away LaLiga Santander matches without a victory.</p>, <p>Cádiz CF vs Getafe CF is next up, with this relegation six-pointer particularly intriguing. Geta won 4-0 when they hosted the Andalusian side earlier this season but know that it’ll be trickier on the road. Still, Cádiz haven’t won a home game yet this season. This weekend would be a good time for them to earn that first victory in front of their own fans.</p>, <p>Real Madrid fans will then welcome their team back to the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday night for a home match against D. Alavés. Real Madrid ran out 4-1 winners in the Basque Country when these sides met on the opening weekend of the season. That kickstarted Los Blancos’ charge to the top of the table and they’ll look for another three points in order to maintain their lead over second-placed Sevilla.</p>, <p>It’s the title challengers who then feature in the