MADRID, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- The ninth round of matches in La Liga brings an intense month of football to a halt ahead of the international break. Here are some things to look out for this weekend in Spain's Matchday 9.

COACHES AT RISK OF THE SACK

The international break is often a good time for teams to make a change to the man sitting in the coach's dugout as it gives their replacement time to bed in ahead of the next match and two coaches in Spain are in clear danger of the sack if their teams lose this weekend.

Oscar Garcia at Celta may have saved the team from relegation by the skin of their teeth last season, but failed to produce much improvement in their football and this campaign has seen a continuation of the theme. If Celta lose away to Elche on Friday night Oscar is almost certainly history.

Sergio Gonzalez has done a decent job in taking Valladolid to promotion and keeping them up last season, however, they are currently bottom of the table and failure to beat Athletic Club (who are not setting the world alight on their travels) will probably mean Sergio too has to go.

BETIS TO TEST BARCA

The optimism that FC Barcelona's first two performances under Ronald Koeman produced among fans has evaporated in a month that has seen them unable to win a league match, drawing two and losing two of their last four games. Last weekend saw them fail to beat an Alaves side that played for half an hour with 10 men and had it not been for Marc Andre Ter Stegen in midweek they wouldn't have beaten a Dynamo Kiev side missing nine players with the coronavirus.

Saturday's visitors to the Camp Nou are a Betis capable of playing excellent swift football as they showed in beating Elche last weekend. Unless Barca show more spark - especially in midfield and attack - an upset might be on the cards.

AWAY SPECIALISTS CADIZ VISIT THE WANDA

On paper Atletico Madrid, who have Portuguese striker Joao Felix in fantastic form and starting to show why the club paid so much money for him a year ago, should be clear favorites to beat recently promoted Cadiz in the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium.

However, Cadiz travel to the capital with four away wins from four away games this season and without conceding a goal on their travels: They have won away to Eibar and Huesca, which may not be a huge surprise, but their victories against Athletic Club and especially Real Madrid most certainly were and a tired Atletico will have to dig deep against Alvaro Cevera's tightly knit team.

CAN REAL SOCIEDAD STAY ON TOP?

So far Real Sociedad are the only team able to remain top of La Liga for longer than a week and Imanol Alguacil's side may be pleased to be facing another side that has been in Europa League action when Granada visit to the Anoeta Stadium on Sunday.

Real Sociedad continue to play attacking football and their youth system has allowed the coach to rotate the side in Europe, while still remaining effective.

Granada have also started well and are currently sixth in Spain, but with coach Diego Martinez missing their midweek trip to Cyprus along with Roberto Soldado and Jesus Vallejo after coronavirus tests and winger Antonio Puerta showing symptoms in the club hotel, it remains to be seen if they will be further affected by the virus. Enditem

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