MADRID, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- The third round of matches in the Liga Santander sees just two sides with 100 percent records at the start of the campaign while two teams have yet to get off the mark. Here are some things to look out for on a weekend packed with derbies in Spain.
1, Barca and Madrid to continue winning start
Just two weeks into the season and Spain's two most powerful clubs are the only two teams in the competition to have a 100 percent record and on paper at least, it looks as if that record should continue until after the international break.
Real Madrid play at home to Leganes and despite last season's Cup exit to their local rivals, they look to be too powerful for the side from the south of the capital.
Meanwhile FC Barcelona entertain newly promoted Huesca. Huesca have been very well organized so far and won their first game of the season away to Eibar, before coming back from 2-0 down to snatch a dramatic point in Bilbao last weekend, but it is a huge task for them to get anything from Messi, Suarez, Coutinho and company.
2, The heat is on in the Seville derby
There is probably no tenser derby in Spain that the Seville derby between Betis and Sevilla and even though the faces change year after year, the game maintains its character.
The first derby in Betis' Benito Villamarin Stadium, will be played with temperatures approaching 30 degrees centigrade and the heat will be on in every sense of the word.
Betis have just one point from their first two games this season, despite strengthening their squad, while Sevilla have impressed under new coach Pablo Machin.
Machin's men have navigated three rounds of the Europa League to qualify for the group stage and have a win and a draw in the league. Maybe those European games will give them a competitive edge as they look to keep the pressure on their neighbors.
3, Valencia derby at time of need
The first midday kick off of the season is the Valencia derby between Levante and Valencia and it comes a week after both sides suffered slightly surprising defeats.
Levante, who beat Betis away in their league opener, lost 2-1 at home to Celta, while Valencia were very poor as they slipped to a 2-0 defeat away to Espanyol.
This derby doesn't have the hostility of the Seville derby, but with both teams needing to bounce back to form it should have added bite: keep an eye on the duel between Levante winger, Jose Luis Morales and Valencia's big money signing Goncalo Guedes.
4, Basque derby to show realities for the new season
Real Sociedad make the short trip to face Eibar on Friday night with four points from two matches (both of which were played away from home due to work on improving their stadium), while Eibar welcome their neighbors with no points and no goals scored.
While Real Sociedad have looked impressive under new coach Asier Garitano, Eibar have been let down by punctual errors at both ends of the pitch.
A win for the home side would get their season back on track, but defeat would point to a long season trying to avoid relegation. Meanwhile victory for Real Sociedad, who on Thursday signed striker Sandro Ramirez, would mean they could set qualifying for Europe as their goal. Enditem
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