Our soccer expert previews the Spanish La Liga week 25 action which kicks off on Friday 27 April 2018.
Barcelona were crowned league cup champions on Saturday after they thrashed Sevilla 5-0. A win this weekend will confirm the Catalan’s eighth domestic double. Despite Valencia failing to win in their last three games, the draw against Celta Vigo was enough to see them make their Champions League return after securing fourth spot.
Elsewhere, Malaga are the first team to be relegated in Europe’s top five leagues. There’s still plenty to fight for with six teams still in the hunt for the Europa League spot next season, while Deportivo are now six points away from safety. And in the race for second place, Atletico Madrid are four points ahead of Real Madrid, although Diego Simeone’s men have played a game more. Lets’ see what gameweek 35 has in store for us.
Friday 27 April
Levante 11/4
Draw 51/20
Sevilla 19/20
Levante’s 2-1 win over Athletic Bilbao on Monday put them in a very good position as they are now nine points clear of the red zone. The Frogs are in fine form and it will take a very good team to stop them. They’ve won five of their last eight games including back-to-back wins, while losing just once against second-placed Atletico Madrid.
Sevilla were thrashed 5-0 by Barcelona in the Copa del Rey Final, leaving them without a win in eight games and they have only won once in their last 10. With this current form Los Rojiblancos will miss out in representing Spain in the Europa League next season. Back Levante to make it three wins in a row at 11/4.
Saturday 28 April
Espanyol 4/10
Draw 33/10
Las Palmas 13/2
Espanyol returned to winning ways when they managed a surprise 2-0 win at Girona last Sunday, which was their second win on the road this season. The Blue and Whites are now safe from relegation as they are 11 points above the drop zone with four games to go.
Espanyol return to the RCDE Stadium where they have been fairly decent with seven wins and five draws, collecting a total of 26 points. Las Palmas are all but relegated after a dreadful series of results. La Union Deportiva are winless in their last 12 games and have lost five games on the bounce. Back Espanyol to make it back-to-back wins.
Real Sociedad 9/10
Draw 51/20
Athletic Bilbao 29/10
Real Sociedad suffered a shock 2-0 defeat at the hands of Segunda-bound Malaga. Prior to that, the Basques had won three games on the bounce, including a 3-0 win over second-placed Atletico Madrid. Athletic Bilbao earned a hard-fought draw against defending champions Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu but went on to lose at home against Levante.
After Ernesto Valverde left to join Catalan giants Barcelona, the Lions have struggled to recover from that loss. They are having a disappointing season and are currently 14th on the log. Back the hosts to triumph here at 9/10.
Real Madrid 1/4
Draw 5/1
Leganes 19/2
Real Madrid are likely to rest some of their key players here as they have an important Champions League semi-final match on Tuesday against German champions Bayern Munich. However, Los Blancos’ second team will still be a quality side with players like Gareth Bale, Marco Asensio and Nacho all expected to start.
Leganes’ last visit to the Bernabeu was a memorable one as they beat Real Madrid 2-1 and knocked them out of the Copa del Rey. Los Legionarios have not won on the road since then and the last time these sides met, Real Madrid won 3-1 at Leganes. Back Real Madrid on the (-1) Handicap at 13/20.
Villarreal 17/20
Draw 26/10
Celta Vigo 31/10
Villarreal are the most inconsistent team at the moment. They have won, lost and drawn in their last three games so you never know what to expect from them. Their win over Leganes took them back into the Europa League spot, three points above seventh-place Sevilla. The Yellow Submarine can’t afford to drop points in this game as they have some tough fixtures to finish off the season, with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Valencia still to come.
Celta Vigo come into this game having earned back-to-back home draws against two of the in-form teams at the moment, Barcelona and Valencia. Prior to that, they were very disappointing in their last game on the road when they lost to Leganes. Celta haven’t found the net against Villarreal in their last four meetings and in those games, they suffered three defeats on the bounce. The Totals – Under 2.5 Goals – market is tipped at 19/20.
Sunday 29 April
Getafe 19/20
Draw 9/4
Girona 32/10
Getafe are riding a three-match winning streak and will look to continue their impressive form. The Gunsmiths will be full of confidence coming into this game and their French star Loic Remy has found form at the right time. Girona are having a horrific run with four losses from their last six league games, including a 2-0 home defeat against strugglers Espanyol last Sunday.
That bad run of form has seen the newcomers drop all the way to ninth on the log standings and their hopes of representing Spain in the Europa League could be over after this match. Get on Getafe to make it four wins in a row at 19/20.
Alaves 34/10
Draw 9/4
Atletico Madrid 9/10
Alaves are in fine form, winning three of their last four games, conceding twice in the process. The Babazorros have been rock solid at the back, keeping four clean sheets in their last five games. It’s no secret that Atletico Madrid have turned their attention to the Europa League and that has seen them drop points against Real Betis and Real Sociedad, failing to find the net on both occasions.
Atletico won the reverse fixture 1-0, but prior to that, these sides had drawn back-to-back meetings, with all three games seeing under 2.5 goals scored. The Totals – Under 2.5 Goals – market is tipped at 5/10.
Valencia 5/10
Draw 32/10
Eibar 52/10
Valencia are winless in their last three matches, suffering back-to-back defeats against Barcelona and Getafe, before drawing at Celta Vigo last time out. Prior to their loss against Barca, Los Che were on a superb run of form with eight wins and a draw from their previous nine matches.
Despite their recent struggles, Marcelino and his men have already secured a top-four finish. Eibar have been dreadful, losing five of their last eight games and that horrendous streak has seen them move away from the European spots. Back Valencia to return to winning ways.
Deportivo La Coruna 7/1
Draw 9/2
Barcelona 3/10
Deportivo are unbeaten in their last four games and have lost just once in their last six matches. The 18th-ranked team has now cut their distance to safety to six points with four games to go. Surviving relegation will still be a herculean task for Clarence Seedorf and his men as they still have to play Celta Vigo, Valencia and Villarreal after facing Barcelona.
The Catalans come into this game full of confidence after claiming their first trophy under the guidance of Ernesto Valverde when they thrashed Sevilla 5-0 in the Copa del Rey Final. A win for Barca here will see them crowned league champions. Deportivo will fight hard, but I’ll take the risk and back Barcelona on the (-1) Handicap at 8/10.
Monday 30 April
Real Betis 7/20
Draw 38/10
Malaga 7/1
Real Betis are unbeaten in their last seven La Liga matches with six wins, keeping six straight clean sheets. Betis find themselves in fifth position on the log and a win over Malaga could see them secure a Europa League spot. Bottom-placed Malaga will be playing in the Segunda next season after being relegated from La Liga. Back Real Betis to rub salt on Malaga’s wounds.
TREBLE @ 42/10
Getafe Win 19/20
Valencia Win 5/10
Barcelona (-1) Handicap 8/10
Written by Banele Pikwa
