Matchday 3 in La Liga is upon us, and the three big title contenders will get to their games with some unfinished tasks.
Barcelona managed to win their first clash of the season, but their first away game ended in disaster. Without their brightest stars, and with everyone wondering when the Neymar deal will be completed, coach Valverde will have to find a way to keep the team focused on beating the recently promoted Osasuna, who tend to grow stronger when they have a top-notch team visiting their stadium.
Atlético Madrid's massive investment has earned them two meager one-nil wins, and hosting Eibar should not be a problem for them. Now, all the team needs from Simeone is to let his new players enjoy themselves and give their fans the brand of attacking football that will bring in the crowds.
Last, but not least, Real Madrid will put an end to Matchday 3 when they visit Villarreal. Zidane's men have not been able to win there in their last two visits, and considering their unfortunate home debut last week, the French boss will have to work his magic to put up a competitive squad that can end that winless streak against the Yellow Submarine.
Without further ado, here's what La Liga's Matchday 3 has to offer for your viewing pleasure.
Team news - Who's in, who's out?
Barcelona will face Saturday's match without four players, all of them due to injury. Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Ousmané Dembelé and goalkeeper Neto will not be around to play this game for Los Culés.
Elsewhere, Atlético Madrid will only have two injury concerns prior to this clash, as Sime Vrsaljko and Borja Garcés have been ruled out due to injury. Angel Correa and Diego Costa have been cleared to play after spending time on the sidelines due to their respective bans.
Real Madrid had a crazy week, which saw two more names being added to their injury list. Eden Hazard and Marco Asensio are not alone in the team's medical unit, as Isco and James Rodríguez will not be available for Sunday's match. Winger Brahím Díaz is still out due to a muscular problem, while Brazilian starlet Rodrygo may be fit to play, but his availability will be determined hours prior to the game.
Coach's quotes ahead of Matchday 3
Sadly, the big story in Spanish football has to do with the death of Luis Enrique's daughter. In a classy gesture, coach Ernesto Valverde dedicated a few words to his predecessor and asked the entire squad to join him in a moment of prayer before their training session on Friday.
Valverde: "I want to send a message to Luis Enrique, in what are difficult times for his family. I want to convey love and send him a huge hug" pic.twitter.com/FD1M2GyHrx
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 30, 2019
A minute's silence in memory of Xana, Luis Enrique's daughter, before Friday's training sessionpic.twitter.com/8nkbKMluDY
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 30, 2019
Key historical stats ahead of La Liga's Matchday 3
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Barcelona has beaten Osasuna in eleven of their 13 most recent games in all comps.
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Joao Félix has been fouled five times this season, with three of those fouls causing a yellow card for his rivals. No other player in La Liga can beat those numbers at the moment.
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Athletic is currently on a 15-game streak without a loss when playing home games.
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Atlético Madrid has kept a clean sheet in 10 of their last 13 home games, including the only one they've played this season at Wanda Metropolitano Stadium.
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Villarreal is on a six-game streak without a loss at home.
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Real Madrid has scored at least two goals in five of their last six trips to Villarreal's stadium.
What is social media talking about ahead of Matchday 3?
Spanish teams involved in the UEFA Champions League took time to announce those clubs they will be facing in the group stage of the competition. All of them had a different but interesting way of sharing it to their fans.
¡Así será nuestro inicio en la @LigadeCampeones 2019/20!
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) August 29, 2019
Grupo A
@RealMadrid
@PSG_espanol
@ClubBrugge
@GalatasaraySK#RMUCL | #HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/VVVXyPtUXW
VAMOOOS pic.twitter.com/Zu2gO4qnlP
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_es) August 29, 2019
[] ANÁLISIS
— Atlético de Madrid (@Atleti) August 29, 2019
¡Descubre todos los detalles de nuestros rivales de la fase de grupos de la @LigadeCampeones19/20!
@juventusfces
@bayer04_es
@fclokomotiv
https://t.co/VAqc7Rm5Fo
#UCLDraw
#AúpaAtleti pic.twitter.com/B5Odu8pkkA
@ChelseaFC, @AFCAjax y @losclive, rivales del @valenciacf en la fase de grupos de la @ChampionsLeague
— Valencia CF (@valenciacf) August 29, 2019
El conjunto de #Mestalla ha conocido este jueves en el Forum Grimaldi de Mónaco los equipos a los que se medirá en la máxima competición europea
https://t.co/D6W4avE6YQ pic.twitter.com/shlyJpplJB
La Liga - Matchday 3 games
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