BARCELONA — The League will observe a minute of silence before this weekend’s matches in memory of the victims of the two deadly train accidents that occurred in the country in the last week.
At least 43 people died last Sunday in southern Spain when a high-speed train left the track and caused a second train passing in the opposite direction to derail. This was followed by another accident on Tuesday, when a train on the outskirts of Barcelona hit a retaining wall that collapsed, killing one person.
The Getafe player’s father, David Cordón, was one of the victims of the first incident, the Madrid club said. Getafe faces Girona on Monday. Cordon is unavailable due to injury.
The incidents have shocked the nation that leads Europe in high-speed rail travel and has millions of workers who rely on the commuter service every day.
A win for second-place Madrid over third-place Villarreal would allow them to overtake Barcelona and regain the lead before their main rival plays Real Oviedo on Sunday.
Villarreal, which has one game less, is seven points behind Madrid. So the home game is a chance – perhaps their last – to keep their long shot at the title alive.
Against modest Oviedo, Barcelona will try to shake off last weekend’s defeat against Real Sociedad, which ended a streak of 11 consecutive victories for Hansi Flick’s team.
Real Sociedad, for its part, plays at home against Celta de Vigo on Sunday. They remain undefeated in four games between La Liga and the Copa del Rey under new American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo, who has taken them to ninth place.
He has been the target of boos from Madrid fans due to the team’s poor play and supposedly because he did not support now former coach Xabi Alonso, who was fired last week and replaced by Álvaro Arbeloa.
Brahim Díaz is expected to return to Madrid training on Thursday after helping Morocco reach the final of the African Cup of Nations, which they lost 1-0 to Senegal. Diaz wasted a chance to potentially win when he fired his stoppage-time penalty straight into the goalkeeper’s arms before Senegal’s goal.
Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez, who came close to joining Chelsea in the summer, is on a roll. He has ten goals in all competitions, including two in a 4-2 win against Slavia Prague.
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