Banele Pikwa shares his tips and picks for week 26 of the 2018/19 Spanish La Liga season.
Lionel Messi scored his 50th career hat-trick as Barcelona came from behind to beat Sevilla and go seven points clear at the top of La Liga. Alvaro Morata who has been denied twice by VAR since joining Atletico Madrid scored his first goal as they beat Villarreal 2-0.
VAR was once again the talking point as Real Madrid were awarded two penalties which were slotted home by Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale to see off Levante. Elsewhere, Sevilla moved out of the top four for the first time this season after a dreadful series of results. All eyes will be on the El Clasico this weekend, but we’ll be looking at every fixture taking place in round 26.
Friday 1 March
Rayo Vallecano 31/20
Draw 22/10
Girona 18/10
Rayo Vallecano and Girona will face each other in the 26th round of La Liga on Friday evening. Vallecano are struggling to keep their heads above the water, and are just two points away from safety. The hosts improved their form as they managed to celebrate a five-match unbeaten run before losing four on the bounce. Girona have been inconsistent on their travels with four draws, four wins and four defeats from the 12 matches played on the road. This won’t be an easy fixture for either team but it’s a game Vallecano should target if they are serious about surviving relegation. Not an easy fixture but back the home team at 31/20.
Saturday 2 March
Espanyol 15/20
Draw 26/10
Real Valladolid 36/10
Espanyol are going to face Rayo Valladolid in the 26th round of La Liga in Saturday’s early kick-off. The hosts are positioned in the middle of the table and after a decent start of the season, they looked like a team that will contest for Europa League finish. However, they haven’t been playing very well lately, recording three draws from their last four matches. Valladolid started off brightly themselves but 2019 hasn’t been good for the visitors, picking up one point in the last four matches. Tough match, so back the draw at 26/10.
Villarreal 8/10
Draw 26/10
Deportivo Alaves 34/10
Villarreal return to their home ground where they smashed Sevilla 3-0 the last time they played here. The Yellow Submarine pulled out one of their best performances of the season but that was short lived as they lost their next league game away to Atletico Madrid. Alaves had the perfect opportunity to move into the top four but played to a goalless draw at home against a struggling Celta Vigo team. Villarreal are not at a price I’d back them for as 8/10 is too short for a team that’s carrying such form. Three of their last four meetings saw both teams score while all four saw over 2.5 goals scored. Back Both Teams to Score at 17/20.
Huesca 26/10
Draw 49/10
Sevilla 1/1
A struggling Huesca take on Sevilla who themselves aren’t in the best of shape. The hosts are rooted to the bottom of the table and they managed to pick up only 19 points so far in the season. Sevilla moved out of the top four for the first time this season after a dreadful series of results. The visitors have conceded seven goals in the last two league matches and the wheels are coming off. Pablo Machin’s job looks to be on the line with concerns over a top-four finish are growing each game. Huesca have been fairly decent in 2019 so back the newcomers to frustrate Sevilla here. Get on Huesca on the Win/Draw Double Chance at 15/20.
Real Madrid 31/20
Draw 11/4
Barcelona 15/10
Click here to see our full El Clasico preview.
Sunday 3 March
Eibar 8/10
Draw 26/10
Celta Vigo 32/10
Eibar will face Celta Vigo in the first of the Sunday fixtures. The home side is fighting for a place in European competition for next season, but their poor recent form saw them slipping down to the 11th place, six points behind the Europa League zone. Celta Vigo have been dismal, picking up four points from their last 10 matches. That horrendous form has seen them sit two points above the red zone. Get on Eibar at 8/10.
Real Betis 1/1
Draw 43/20
Getafe 3/1
Real Betis host Getafe in one of the most interesting matches of gameweek 26, apart from the El Clasico. Only three points separate these two teams as they fight for the dream finish to compete in the UEFA Champions League next season. Both teams come into this game in high spirits after convincing wins on matchday 25. A tight affair is expected but get on the home team to win this crucial encounter.
Real Sociedad 47/20
Draw 21/10
Atletico Madrid 5/4
A real buzz is expected on Sunday evening when Real Sociedad and Atletico Madrid battle each other in a mouth-watering encounter at the Anoeta. The hosts are now five points behind fourth-placed Getafe. Sociedad have enjoyed a thread of nine matches unbeaten in all competitions, while Atletico are high in confidence. After beating Serie A champions Juventus, Diego Simeone’s men backed it up with another 2-0 win against the Yellow Submarine. The hosts have won their last two home fixtures against Atleti, beating them 2-0 and 3-0 last time Simeone’s men visted the Anoeta. Back Real Sociedad to upset Atletico Madrid at a valuable 47/20.
Valencia 9/10
Draw 47/20
Athletic Bilbao 33/10
Valencia continued their amazing series of draws on Saturday when their league tie against Leganes ended 1-1. Los Che now have 15 draws from 25 La Liga matches. The bad news for the locals is that these sides have drawn on their last two encounters and they would be frustrated if this match ends in yet another stalemate. Gaizka Garitano has obviously done a tremendous job on improving his team’s backline. Bilbao have kept three clean sheets in their last four league outings, including the draw against Barcelona and the team has conceded two from their last six. As per usual, a draw is tipped in a match involving Valencia.
Monday 4 March
Leganes 1/1
Draw 23/10
Levante 29/10
Mid-table rivals Leganes and Levante take on each other in the only game of the day on Monday night at the Estadio Butarque. The hosts will be looking to make up for the points dropped in their last two matches against Real Sociedad and Valencia. These sides are both locked on 30 points after 25 league games. Levante have been blowing hot and cold, recently winning one, losing three and drawing the other from their last five matches. Leganes have lost once at home this season, 21 of their overall 30 points were collected at home. Back the hosts because of their impressive home record.
Treble tipped at 56/10
Eibar Win 8/10
Leganes Win 1/1
Villarreal vs Alaves BTTS 17/20
Written by Banele Pikwa for Hollywoodbets and Soccer Betting News.
