With the fixture list for the Spanish league now published we are now in a position to start planning which matches to go and see. One of the top two clubs in Spain is normally considered to be FC Barcelona, and here we discuss the highlights of the fixture list for the year.

The top matches are undoubtedly the games between Barcelona and Real Madrid due to the huge rivalry between the two cities and the rejection of a centralised Spain by many Catalans. The two clubs are life long archrivals and the matches eagerly awaited. The first round clash takes place in Barcelona on December 13th or 14th, with the return match at the Santiago Bernadeu stadium in Madrid taking place on May 2nd/3rd.

One of the other great clashes is against Barcelona’s second team, RCD Espanyol. This season the first leg is played at the Estadi Olimpic on the last weekend of September, with Espanyol crossing town for the Nou Camp on February 21st/22nd. While Espanyol aren’t at the same level as Barcelona, they do have a hardcore fan base and the results are not a forgone conclusion by any means.

Other top matches include Barcelona versus Getafe, a hard fighting team from Madrid. Although they only gained promotion to the top division several years ago, they quickly established a reputation as a worthy rival under the management of Bernd Schuster who is now at Real Madrid. They visit the Nou Camp on November 22nd/23rd, with Barça making the return match on April 18th/19th and other matches of note include Valencia and Sevilla, both worthy opponents.