La Liga 2014-15 fixtures revealed

adamhigginsuk
Jul 24, 2014
3 min read

Doing the double: Barcelona won both meetings with Real in La Liga last season, at the Nou Camp in October and at the Bernabeu in March (Picture from Flickr.com)

REAL Madrid will host Barcelona in the first El Clasico on 26 October after the 2014-15 La Liga fixtures were announced.

It could mean Luis Suarez makes his Barca debut against Real at the Santiago Bernabeu once his four-month football ban has expired.

The return clash at the Nou Camp is set to be held on 22 March 2014 although the dates of all matches are subject to change until the TV schedule is revealed in due course.

Defending champions Atletico Madrid start the season away to Rayo Vallecano on 24 August with Real at home to newly-promoted Cordoba while Barca entertain Elche, who avoided relegation by a solitary point last term.

Also on matchday one, Sevilla host Valencia, Levante take on Villarreal and Malaga welcome Athletic Bilbao to La Rosaleda.

New boys Eibar and Deportivo La Coruna begin against Real Sociedad and Granada respectively, Espanyol travel to Almeria and Celta Vigo face Getafe.

Real face Madrid rivals Atletico in their second home game of the season in September and will travel to the Vicente Calderon on 8 February.

Barca - now managed by former player Luis Enrique - do not meet Diego Simeone's Atleti until January but their second encounter in Madrid is scheduled for the penultimate weekend of the campaign.

The two sides met on the final day of last season when Atletico claimed the point required to claim their first title since 1996.

But the Spanish Football Federation have confirmed the most eagerly anticipated fixture of the season will take place on matchday nine.

Madrid are set to field new high-profile signings Toni Kroos and James Rodriguez but the build-up is likely to surround the possible debut of Suarez, who completed his £75 million move from Liverpool earlier this month.

The 26-year-old will be eligible to play as his ban from all football-related activities for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup - which took place on 24 June but was imposed two days later - comes to an end the day before the first El Clasico.

However, if TV broadcasters Sky Sports decide to screen the match on Saturday, 25 October, he is expected to be unavailable.

Barca face Deportivo, Real host Getafe and Atletico will travel to Granada on the final day of the season on 24 May.

Elsewhere, Almeria entertain Valencia, Athletic Bilbao are up against Villarreal, Celta Vigo take on Espanyol while promoted Eibar and Cordoba lock horns at the Estadio Municipal.

Levante - who finished 10th last season - welcome Elche to the Ciutat de Valencia, Javi Garcia's Malaga will pit their wits against Sevilla and Real Socediad make the journey to Rayo Vallecano.

The Spanish Super Cup will be held on 16 August with the final of the Copa del Rey, which Real won after beating Barca 2-1 last season, staged later than usual on May 30.

It has also been announced that the vanishing spray - which was used during the World Cup finals in Brazil - will be used by Spanish top-flight referees next season.

Click here for all of La Liga's 2014-15 fixtures

LA LIGA - OPENING WEEKEND FIXTURES:

Almeria v Espanyol

Barcelona v Elche

Celta Vigo v Getafe

Eibar v Real Socediad

Granada v Deportivo La Coruna

Levante v Villarreal

Malaga v Athletic Bilbao

Rayo Vallecano v Atletico Madrid

Real Madrid v Cordoba

Sevilla v Valencia