LaLiga Matchday 9 Preview: Atletico Madrid battle Real Sociedad; Real Madrid face surprising Osasuna test

There are some hot fixtures coming up in Matchday 9 of the 2023/24 LALIGA EA SPORTS season, not least the duel between Atlético de Madrid and Real Sociedad. That fascinating match is one five fixtures taking place on Sunday, ahead of the October international break.

First, the opening fixture of this matchday takes place in Bilbao on Friday night, as Athletic Club meet UD Almería. Iñaki Williams and co. will view this as a good chance to bounce back from last weekend's Basque Derby defeat, as they face a struggling UD Almería side that is currently bottom of the table and without a permanent coach, with B team boss Alberto Lasarte set to take charge of the Andalusian outfit for a second match in a row.

Another team keen to get back on track this weekend is Girona FC. The Catalan side have been a revelation this season and are still third in the table, despite losing their first game of the campaign against Real Madrid last weekend. This matchday, they pay a visit to Cádiz CF, where they have never won an official match. Los Blanquivermells will aim to change that this Saturday.

At 4.15pm CEST on Saturday, Real Madrid return home for a duel with CA Osasuna, who have drawn at the Bernabéu on their past two visits. With it so tight at the top of the table right now, Los Blancos know they can't afford to drop points this time.

RCD Mallorca vs Valencia CF follows, with Los Che making the short hop across the Mediterranean Sea to seek revenge for their two defeats against the islanders last season. If they are to win against RCD Mallorca this time, though, Valencia CF will have to contain Vedat Muriqi, who has scored in each of his past four games.

The Saturday night game this weekend is Sevilla FC vs Rayo Vallecano. It has