Our football analyst previews the Spanish La Liga Week 25 action which kicks off on Friday 22 February 2019.
Lionel Messi scored a penalty and missed another as Barcelona beat Real Valladolid to move seven points clear at the top of La Liga. Real Madrid missed the chance to go second as Girona came from behind to record a surprise win at the Bernabeu. Atletico Madrid returned to second position above Real after Antoine Griezmann’s second-half goal saw off Rayo Vallecano. Elsewhere, Villarreal finally ended their 13-match winless run when thrashing Sevilla 3-0.
Friday 22 February
Espanyol 15/20
Draw 26/10
Huesca 37/10
Espanyol are well placed to survive relegation from La Liga this season. They sit in a comfortable 14th place with a six-point lead over Villarreal after picking up five points in their last three matches. The Catalan club will have a lot to show in this match as they have won one league game this year. Huesca are now proving to be a competitive team, earning seven points in their last five fixtures.
The RCDE Stadium, however, has always been a tough place to visit for anyone in the league and the records are there to show for it, winning seven of the 11 matches and losing four of which three were against the top three. Back Espanyol at 15/20 and include in all multiples.
Saturday 23 February
Getafe 15/20
Draw 5/2
Rayo Vallecano 39/10
The top four has become really competitive over the years with three teams guaranteed a Champions League spot. Getafe, even with their inconsistency this season, have a strong chance of finally break into the top four as the Azulones are one point behind fourth-placed Sevilla. Barcelona and the two Madrid teams have carved a space for their own, but there’s no telling to what might happen regarding the last spot with five teams still in with a chance. Winning all their home games against the smaller teams is now a must for the Deep Blues who have won four of their last five home fixtures. Getafe are a banker here, get on.
Sevilla 26/10
Draw 29/10
Barcelona 9/10
Barcelona moved seven points clear at the very top of the La Liga table thanks to a 1-0 victory over Valladolid last Saturday at the Camp Nou. The defending champions are completely back in the driving seat for the title after Atletico and Real Madrid’s recent slip-ups. The hosts come into the match off the back of suffering a demolishing 3-0 defeat against relegation-threatened Villarreal.
These sides met in the Copa del Rey a fortnight ago and Barcelona thrashed Sevilla 6-1 in the second leg to make it 6-3 on aggregate. The hosts have been struggling, picking up four points in their last six matches and were lucky to escape defeat in their last game at home when they scored two goals in the final three minutes to salvage a draw against Eibar. Back Barcelona to come out on top and kick Sevilla out of the top four.
Deportivo Alaves 27/20
Draw 22/10
Celta Vigo 43/20
Alaves and Celta Vigo are set to lock horns on Saturday evening at the Estadio Mendizorroza. Neither side come into this game in good form. Alaves only took four points from their past five league affairs, beating Levante and sharing the spoils with Real Betis.
Celta Vigo, on the other side, ended a five-match losing streak only for a moment when beating struggling Sevilla 1-0 at home. They quickly returned to their old habits, falling 1-3 to Getafe and 4-1 to Levante last weekend. The 27/20 price looks a decent bet for Alaves who play at home against a side that have lost seven of their last eight matches.
Athletic Bilbao 21/20
Draw 9/4
Eibar 11/4
A rejuvenated Athletic Bilbao welcome Eibar to the San Mames in Saturday’s late kick-off. This will be a difficult assignment for the Lions as the visitors are unbeaten in their five fixtures, winning two and drawing three – including back-to-back 2-2 draws against Sevilla and Getafe. These sides have also shared the spoils in their last two encounters and only Valencia (14) have drawn more times than Bilbao (12) and Eibar (10). This match has all the ingredients of a draw.
Sunday 24 February
Leganes 18/10
Draw 2/1
Valencia 17/10
Something must have clicked within both these teams because for the last whole month, these sides have looked to have found their rhythm. This follows what was quite easily a horror show of a season before December. Despite losing their last game, Leganes have picked up seven points in their last four encounters. On the other hand, Valencia have lost once in their last 11 matches and are unbeaten in their last five. This game is written draw all over it!
Atletico Madrid 13/20
Draw 26/10
Villarreal 47/10
Atletico Madrid returned to winning ways after a shocking pair of defeats against Real Betis and Real Madrid. Diego Simeone’s men are now seven points behind runaway leaders Barcelona and they had a tough match in the Champions League against Juventus on Wednesday. They simply have to be consistent on Sunday afternoon against a struggling Villarreal in order to stay in the title race.
The Yellow Submarine ended their horrendous streak when thrashing Sevilla 3-0 last weekend and they will have a little bit of hope that they can at least earn a point here. Atletico Madrid are a banker at 13/20.
Real Valladolid 18/10
Draw 21/10
Real Betis 33/20
Real Valladolid’s dream of playing in La Liga next season was hit with a bitter blow after they dropped points in three consecutive games. Valladolid are coming into this game after failing to find the net in three matches on the bounce and they are just three points from safety after Villarreal won last Sunday.
Meantime, Real Betis moved out of the Europa League qualification zone after a hard-fought draw against fellow contenders Alaves. The hosts came out victorious the last time these sides met in Seville. It’s hard to separate these sides, so I suggest backing goals in this one. Get on Both Teams to Score at 9/10.
Levante 4/1
Draw 7/2
Real Madrid 11/20
Real Madrid’s title hopes suffered a blow when they were beaten 2-1 by Girona at home last Sunday. The gap with Barcelona is now wider as the European Champions now trail their rivals by nine points which makes the Copa del Rey and Champions League their only realistic opportunity to win a trophy and salvage what has been a miserable season for Los Blancos.
Madrid will also be looking for revenge after Levante beat them in the first round in front of their fans. To be fair, Real Madrid have been better under Santiago Solari and I expect them to bounce back from their disappointing defeat. Back Real Madrid to return to winning ways at 11/20.
Monday 25 February
Girona 16/10
Draw 43/20
Real Sociedad 18/10
Girona were on a 13-match winless run heading into their clash against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu last weekend and everyone gave them no chance against a high-flying Los Blancos side. The Catalan side reminded the world what they are capable of and also repeated what they did last season, beating Real Madrid 2-1.
Real Sociedad have been very difficult to predict as they are capable of beating anyone on their day. They thrashed Leganes 3-0 last weekend to move one point behind fourth-placed Sevilla. The visitors are now starting to believe they can get that top four finish which will see them rub shoulders with some of the best teams in Europe. Back Real Sociedad to burst Girona’s bubble at 18/10.
TREBLE @ 7/1
Getafe Win 15/20
Alaves Win 27/20
Barcelona Win 9/10
Written by @BanzaRP
