adminDEFENDING champions Barcelona will start the defence of their La Liga crown at home to Real Betis over the weekend of August 20-21, with Real Madrid visiting Real Sociedad in their opening match. The Spanish football federation released the fixtures for the 2016-17 season on Friday, with Atletico Madrid hosting promoted Alaves to kick off their campaign. Barcelona and Real will have to wait until the first weekend of December for the season’s first Clasico, at the Camp Nou, with the arch rivals meeting on April 22-23 for the reverse fixture in the Spanish capital.
Real visit city rivals Atletico over the weekend of November 19-20, before the two sides face off at the Santiago Bernabeu in early April. The league season will run until May 21 with the final of the Copa del Rey planned for the following weekend.
Barcelona will warm up for their season opener against Sevilla in the Spanish Super Cup. The first leg takes place in Seville on August 14 with the second leg three days later in Barcelona.
Europa League winners Sevilla face a particularly hectic August schedule, with Jorge Sampaoli’s men also playing Real in the European Super Cup in Trondheim in Norway on August 9. — SuperSport
Blessing Chizhande