The second matchweek of LaLiga 2021-22 kicks off with Real Betis hosting Cadiz CF. Athletic Bilbao taking on FC Barcelona will surely be the match of the weekend. Real Madrid plays Levante away. Atletico Madrid plays its first home match vs Elche. Last day of matchweek 2 will have two matches, Getafe vs Sevilla and Osasuna vs Celta Vigo.
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Let’s take a look at some of the interesting matches of the week
1. Athletic Bilbao vs FC Barcelona
The Athletic-Barcelona Classico will surely be the match of the weekend in LaLiga. They played against each other on 4 occasions last season; twice in LaLiga, once in the Spanish super Copa final and the other being the Copa del Rey final, leading to 17 goals between the teams. Out of which the Catalans were victorious in 3 of them and one match going to Athletic Club. Over the last 48 meetings, Catalans have won 32 times whereas Los Leones have won 7 and drawn 9. The match will be played in San Mames.
Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Club ended their first match in 0-0 draw against Elche away, they salvaged a point from the match despite underperforming in the same. They have lost just one match out of their last six matches. Marcelino Garcia will depend on Inaki Williams to put up some show. The injury list includes Ander Capa, Inigo Cordoba, Kenan Kodro, Peru Nolaskoain, and Yuri Berchiche.
Predicted lineup
Barcelona
The Catalans started the Post-Messi era in a great way in their 4-2 victory against Real Sociedad in gameweek 1 last week. Martin Braithwaite will try to repeat his heroics once again, despite his future being in the air, combining with Memphis Depay and Antoine Griezmann upfront. The Catalans have won 6 out of their last 7 matches.
Coming into this fixture Blaugranas are unbeaten in their last 4 away league matches. Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Ansu Fati, Oscar Mingueza, Ousmane Dembele and Sergio Aguero complete the injury list. There are no suspensions.
Levante vs Real Madrid
Levante will host Real Madrid at Estadio Cuidad de Valencia. Real Madrid was surprised by Levante 1-2 at Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano when they met last time they met. Over the last 26 meetings in LaLiga, Real Madrid has won 17 times, Levante winning 6 and just 3 matches ending in a draw with Real Madrid scoring 63 goals to Levante’s 25.
Levante
Levante drew their first match 1-1 away to Cadiz FC after conceding in the last minutes of injury time. Paco Lopez will hope for his men to repeat their valiant performance from last season. Levante has lost once in their last 4 matches. They have also scored in 3 of the last 4 matches. Roberto Soldado and Sergio Postiga will be out due to injury. There are no suspensions.
Real Madrid
Carlo Ancelotti started his second stint as Real Madrid manager officially as he would expect by defeating Alaves 1-4 last week away at Estadio de Mendizorroza thanks to a brace from Karim Benzema and one goal each from Nacho Fernandez and Vinicius Jr. They will look to continue their form in another away match. Los Blancos have lost only twice in the last 27 matches. The injury list includes Dani Ceballos and Toni Kroos. There are no suspensions.
Predicted lineup
Atletico Madrid vs Elche
In this match Atletico Madrid will host Elche at the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano. In their 8 meetings in all competitions, Atletico Madrid has never won 7 of them and one match ending in a draw.
Atletico Madrid
Los Rojiblancos defeated Celta vigo at The Balaidos 1-2 as a result of a brace from Angel Correa. The defending champions will be hoping to entertain the fans in their first home match of the season. Atletico Madrid has won or drew in 9 out of 11 matches. Centre-back Mario Hermoso will be out after getting a red card in late drama in the previous match. Joao Felix, Felipe, and Marcos Paulo miss out due to injury.
Elche
Elche drew their last match 0-0 vs Athletic Bilbao at home. Elche will try to change their record against Atletico Madrid and upset the favorites. Fidel Chaves will be their main man to create chances. Elche has won just one match out of their last 6 matches. Luismi will miss out due to covid-19. There are no suspensions for the team.
Getafe vs Sevilla
Sevilla takes on Getafe away from home on the last day of gameweek 2. Over 33 meetings between them have been very close, Sevilla has an edge over Getafe having won 16 to Getafe’s 13 and 4 draws. You can expect goals in this match as the last time they played nil-nil draw dates way back in the 2006-07 season. This match will be played at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez.
Getafe
Getafe lost their 1-0 to Valencia despite dominating the full match with 74% possession at Estadio de Mestalla. Michel would want his team to bounce back quickly after the defeat and show a similar performance with a result. Azules have won or drawn 8 of their last 9 matches. They would like to reminisce about their encounter with Sevilla from 2018-19 when they won 3-0 at home. Allan Nyom and Dario Poveda are out due to injury whereas Erick Cabaco will miss out because of suspension.
Predicted lineup
Sevilla
Sevilla cruised past Rayo Vallecano 3-0 in gameweek 1 of Laliga as a result of a brace from their new signing Erik Lamela and a penalty goal by Youssef En-Nesyri. Sevilla has won or drew in 8 out of the last 9 matches. They have also scored first in the last 5 out of 6 matches. The injury list includes Gonzalo Montiel and Oliver Torres. There are no suspensions.
What to Expect
This gameweek in LaLiga is a tricky one. Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona will surely be an interesting match but might end in favor of the Catalans as they have a slight edge over the opponents. Real Madrid will enter the match as favorites but Levante will show some resistance. Diego Simeone’s side will be the favorites to come out victorious vs Elche. Getafe will look to give a good fight to Sevilla despite being underdogs in the match.
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