LaLiga's fixture madness: Atlético and Betis to face off twice in under 70 hours
The Spanish league announces its matchday 23 schedule with a brutal turnaround for two clubs who must play each other in both Copa del Rey and LaLiga in the same week.
A right old scheduling nightmare awaits two of Spain’s top sides as LaLiga reveals its latest fixture list.
Matchday 23 breakdown
LaLiga has officially announced the schedule for Matchday 23, with fixtures spread across four days from Friday, February 6th to Monday, February 9th.
The standout scheduling oddity? Atlético Madrid and Real Betis will face each other twice in just 69.5 hours - first in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals at La Cartuja, followed by their league encounter at the Metropolitano on Sunday, February 8th at 18:30.
Talk about déjà vu! The players will barely have time to wash their kits between matches, let alone prepare tactically for the second encounter. Both managers will need to use their loaf (that’s bread and butter - head) when planning their squads for this double-header.
Big clubs’ fixtures
- Barcelona will host Mallorca on Saturday, February 7th at 16:15
- Real Madrid travel to Mestalla to face Valencia on Sunday, February 8th at 21:00
Full schedule highlights
The matchday kicks off with Celta Vigo hosting Osasuna on Friday, while the round concludes with Monday night football featuring Villarreal vs Espanyol - an intriguing clash between two sides with Champions League aspirations.
This condensed schedule will test squad depth and recovery protocols, particularly for Atlético and Betis who’ll be seeing more of each other than most married couples do in a weekend.
For supporters planning their viewing, it’s worth noting the varied kick-off times throughout the weekend, with matches scattered across afternoons and evenings to maximize television coverage.