Can't Miss: Barca Battleship Takes On Submarine
Villarreal host Barcelona as LaLiga dusts itself off for another calendar year, while Roma try to stay in range of Juve.
SUNDAY
SERIE A: GENOA V ROMA / MULTICALCIO - live on beIN SPORTS from 8:55AM ET / 5:55AM PT
Roma looks to keep a solid second in Serie A return
Genoa fans might well be flocking to the Stadio Luigi Ferraris not only to catch a tasting game of football as Serie A restarts but also to have a gander at which players have not vanished, rather like the opening minutes of the first episode of 'The Leftovers'.
Two big names have already gone during the winter window, Tomas Rincon to Juve and Leonardo Pavoletti to Napoli, as the Genoese outfit continues to play the role as feeder outfit to the big boys. However, the locals would not be hoping for more than a handy point to keep the side in mid-table.
That's certainly not the case with Roma which is both trying desperately to stay within spitting distance of Juventus at the top of the table with a four-point cushion but keep the chasing back of Napoli and Lazio at bay with the Romans planning yet another campaign of Champions League disappointment next season.
LA LIGA: VILLARREAL V BARCELONA - live on beIN SPORTS from 2:55PM ET / 11:55PM PT
Barcelona looking to avoid Yellow Submarine sinking
This is one of those match-ups where the result looks in some doubt. But it normally the case with Barcelona taking on Valencia with the Yellow Submarine failing to make a direct hit on Barcelona with a win in 14 league games.
However, a draw is very much on the cards, the result of the last time the two teams met in El Madrigal in March. Indeed, that might even be a good result for Barca considering a wobbly display to say the least against Athletic Bilbao.
With Real Madrid still going great guns and on a 38-match unbeaten streak in all competitions, Barcelona are in the 'no room for error' department against a team that has the best defensive record in La Liga with just eleven goals conceded thanks to Sergio Asenjo in goal and a mean-and-moody fearsome back four.
La Liga law declares that one of Real Madrid and Barcelona must be in 'crisis' at any given time. Anything less than a win and Barcelona will be taking that plunge of panic.
MONDAY
LA LIGA: OSASUNA V VALENCIA - live on beIN SPORTS CONNECT from 2:45 ET / 11:45 PT
Race to the bottom for La Liga's disaster zones
Merciful Zeus. Where to start with these two shambolic teams in the true dumpster fire derby of the weekend?
On a purely pernickety point, Osasuna are in the worse trouble by far. The team is on its third manager of the season after the firing of Joaquin Caparros on Thursday and bottom-of-the-table with just seven points. No team has survived relegation with the same or less after 16 games.
Valencia, Valencia, Valencia. The team is also on its third manager of the campaign, after Cesare Prandelli quit over Christmas over what the Italian accused of broken promises over transfers and various rants about a lack of player commitment to the cause.
Valencia are only out of the relegation zone on goal difference and the side was recently thrashed in front of a furious Mestalla crowd in the Copa del Rey by Celta causing thousands to demonstrate against the club's Singapore-based owners.
It's a toss up between who is in worse straits. Monday's result could be a deciding factor.