All the potential contenders emerged victorious on the opening round. Real Madrid is the first to top the standings after winning 4-1, Sevilla second, and Barca third.
Friday 20 August
Real Betis 11/20
Draw 29/10
Cadiz 5/1
Real Betis disappointed everyone when they drew with Mallorca in the opening round. The hosts had a very good pre-season campaign and are undoubtedly one of the well-coached sides in the league. Drawing such games are a huge set-back for Manuel Pellegrini who has big plans for the season, such as qualifying for the UEFA Champions League. For that to happen, Betis need to start winning matches against smaller teams such as Cadiz. Back Real Betis to kick off the Friday opener with a win.
Saturday 21 August
Alaves 27/20
Draw 43/20
Mallorca 43/20
We kick off the Saturday fixtures with a low-profile encounter at the Mendizorrotza Stadium where Alaves hosts Mallorca. The hosts are second to last after being thrashed 4-1 by Real Madrid and they will want to bounce back and move away from the red zone immediately. Mallorca earned a very big point against a well-coached Real Betis side. This will be a very open game and both sides will fancy their chances here. Therefore, I suggest backing Both Teams To Score (Yes) at even money.
Granada 29/20
Draw 9/4
Valencia 37/20
Granada are one of the four teams who are yet to score this season after playing to a goalless draw against Villarreal last time out, despite the Yellow Submarines finishing the game with 10 men. The hosts were a very tough nut to crack in their home ground with fans in the stadium and I am expecting them to continue that run. Valencia were one of the biggest winners on matchday one despite them winning 1-0. What made their victory impressive was the fact that they did it with 10 men after Hugo Guillamón was sent off in the third minute. Valencia and Granada are two teams who are not afraid of draws so back a stalemate here.
Espanyol 2/1
Draw 47/20
Villarreal 27/20
Espanyol and Villarreal are yet to score in La Liga this season as they are of the four teams that failed to find the back of the net in the opening round. The last time these sides faced each other was in 2020, and in that season, both picked up three points from each other. These sides have met 18 times with Espanyol winning four, Villarreal winning five, and nine draws. Last week Unai Emery’s men were fresh from their midweek UEFA Super Cup final against Chelsea and not to make any excuses but that did have an impact on the La Liga result. Back Villarreal to win here.
Athletic Bilbao 29/10
Draw 26/10
Barcelona 9/10
No Lionel Messi? No problem. Barcelona surprised everyone when they thrashed Real Sociedad and put every doubt that the team will struggle without Messi on hold. This is the type of confidence Barca needed and they will build from this and get better. Martin Braithwaite was sensational scoring a brace and assisting Sergi Roberto. That kind of start is a big statement from the Catalan giants and teams will continue to fear them. In football players come and go, there is no such thing as a one-man team. Back Barcelona to make it two wins on the bounce.
Sunday 22 August
Real Sociedad 5/10
Draw 33/10
Rayo Vallecano 52/10
My best bet of the weekend pops up in this fixture. Real Sociedad welcome Rayo Vallecano to the Reale Arena stadium. Sociedad were thumped by Barcelona on matchday one, and they will look to bounce back in this matchup. This is a perfect opportunity for the hosts to put everything behind them and get back to winning ways. Failure to win here will be a huge disappointment for the hosts. Vallecano are one of the favourites to go down before the ball was kicked and that was justified as they are rock bottom after the first round. Real Sociedad should win here.
Atletico Madrid 1/5
Draw 52/10
Elche 15/1
The champions proved they are willing to fight tooth and nail to defend their crown. Diego Simeone’s men fought to beat last season’s giant killers Celta Vigo in their backyard in a match that saw two red cards one from either side. The defending champions for once kept all their key players despite some interest across Europe and that’s a big statement from a club that always sells. Maybe the objective is to win the UEFA Champions League this season or defend their La Liga crown. Whatever the reason, the one thing guaranteed is that the Wanda Metropolitana will be one of the most competitive places to go too this season. Atletico should win both halves at 14/10.
Levante 39/10
Draw 31/10
Real Madrid 6/10
Levante started their season with a goalless draw against Cadiz while Real Madrid welcomed Carlo Ancelotti with a 4-1 win over Alaves. French striker Karim Benzema was again the instigator for Los Blancos, starting the season with a brace. Vinicius Junior is expected to have a big season after all the talks of him being the next big thing and he is now well developed. The biggest boost this week was goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois signing a new deal that will keep him at the club till 2026. Back Real Madrid to make it back-to-back away wins.
Monday 23 August
Getafe 24/10
Draw 43/20
Sevilla 5/4
After their convincing win in the opening round, Sevilla will be confident to earn maximum points here. New signing Erik Lamela wasted no time, registering an assist and scoring on his debut. The hosts will definitely be one of the contenders this season and if they are serious about winning La Liga, they have to win such matches. Getafe are no pushovers; they were by far the surprise package of last season where they almost qualified for Champions League. This season, they started slow losing to Valencia who played 87 minutes with 10 men. This is a difficult game for Getafe despite them being a good side. Back Sevilla to win here.
Osasuna 15/10
Draw 39/20
Celta Vigo 19/10
Osasuna will welcome Celta Vigo to wrap up the weekend fixtures. Both teams are in search of their first win of the season and history points towards Osasuna who won two of their last three meetings. Celta Vigo are also not good travelers, while the hosts have a decent home record. With fans back in the stadium, Osasuna will definitely be confident in winning this one. Get on Osasuna to win here.
QUAD @ 6/1
Real Betis Win 11/20
Barcelona Win 9/10
Real Sociedad Win 5/10
Real Madrid Win 6/10
