As the Spanish La Liga season comes to a closing to its end, we are presented with two interesting ties for the top teams in the league this Sunday. The first match covered in this two match preview is between Real Betis, who have managed to stay up in the top flight of Spanish Football, and Atletico Madrid, who will be hoping for a positive performance after another European exit at the hands of Local rivals Real Madrid. The other match is between league leaders Barcelona, who will be wary of a slip up, as they fight for the title, against bottom half placed team Las Palmas, who have secured survival for the next season, and will be hoping to provide some sort of resistance when the league leaders visit them this Sunday.
REAL BETIS vs. ATLETICO DE MADRID
3-Way: 1: REAL BETIS +520; X: +320 Draw; 2: ATLETICO DE MADRID -145
Spread +1: REAL BETIS -123; ATLETICO DE MADRID +117
Total +2.5: Over +110; Under +104
REAL BETIS
Real Betis has spent majority of their season in the bottom half of the Spanish la liga table. They aren’t the most organized of teams, as one can make out from their performances, but they do create problems for the oppositions as they sometimes try to take advantage of the momentary lapse in concentration of the opponent, and hence get positive results this way sometimes. With two games left in the season, Betis would hope to finish this season in a positive way, but with Atletico Madrid looming this weekend, it’s going to be a very tough asking.
Sitting at 15th position of the Spanish La Liga, Real Betis have accumulated 36 points so far. If the next two matches, and all the other results go in their favor, the highest they can finish the season is the 14th position. They are currently in a poor run of form. Their current league record over the last 6 games is 2-0-4. Betis has been thrashed at home and away in their last two league matches respectively. First, they were well beaten by newly promoted Alaves, by a 4:1 scoreline at home. This was followed by a 4:0 drubbing at Leganes last weekend, where the Leganes players cut through the Betis midfield and defense at ease. As a 0:1 loss is the most common result (6 times) for the team, which shows their poor nature of their campaign.
The Beticos have been considerably poor in attack this season. With just 37 goals scored this season, they are the worst team in the Spanish La Liga when it comes to attacking, barring 4 other teams. 21 of these goals have come in front of the home fans. Their defense is in a better shape than their attack, but still not quite up to the level expected in the top flight. They have conceded a massive 60 goals in the league, but have kept 10 clean sheets in the same period. 23 of those goals are conceded at home. Both these stats combined give us the image of a comparatively better home form for the Beticos.
Spanish forward Ruben Castro has been the reason behind most of the gals by Betis. He has scored 11 goals and provided 3 assists. For a team that struggles offensively, it is a decent return and has been vital for grabbing points. Jaoquin Rodriguez has also chipped in with goals of his own. He has scored 3 goals, and has 4 assists for the team. Goalkeeper Antonio Adnan has kept 9 clean sheets in the league. Only 6 other goalkeepers have more.
There are a few doubts for the manager to ponder upon for the weekend. Daniel Ceballos (ankle), Riza Durmisi, ( stomach), and Alex Alegria ( hip) are all doubts for the match, but Cristiano Piccini is back in training. Antonio Sanabria is out for the season with a groin Injury.
ATHLETICO DE MADRID
It must be having a feeling of Déjà vu for the Madrid based team. A top three finish is what the club always manages to, but the real disappointment comes in the champions league. They had been knocked out by defending Champions Real Madrid in the semi final with a 4:2 aggregate score. In fact, their Local rivals have knocked them out of Europe 4 times in the last 5 years. It is important for Los Rojiblancos to shrug off their disappointment, and get back and finish the league in a positive manner, starting this weekend.
Sitting 3rd in the Spanish La Liga, Diego Simeone’s men are known for their defensive solidity and structure, with incisive attacking play. They have accrued 74 points in the league so far, with 2 matches still to go. 41 of those points have been won at their stadium Vicente Calderon, which is in its last season, as the club will shift to a new stadium.
Their current away form has been very good. They are undefeated in the last 6 away games, with the record being 4-2-0. Their last two matches have been victories. A 5:0 thumping win at Las Palmas, was followed by a home victory by 1:0 against Eibar. Their ruthless efficiency and defensive solidity is shown by the fact that they have won seven games in the league with a score line of 1:0.
With players like Fernando Torres, Antoine Griezmann, etc, it is only normal that your team will be quite good at scoring goals. Los Rojiblancos have scored 66 goals in the league so far, with 37 of them being scored at home. It is their defense in which Atletico take real pride. They have the best defense in the league, which has conceded on 25 goals. Moreover, they have managed to keep an astonishing 20 clean sheets till now, with a chance of more by the end of the season. This shows how assured Los Rojiblancos are at the back.
French striker Griezmann is the top scorer for Atletico in the Spanish La Liga, with 16 strikes to his name till now. And not just goals, the Frenchman has also made 7 assists for his teammates, displaying his all round game in the process. Belgian winger Yannick Carrasco has scored 10 goals and provided 4 assists. Spanish playmaker Koke has the highest assists in the team, with 8 to his name. Their Slovenian Goalkeeper Jan Oblak has the highest number of clean sheets in the league, with 15 to his name.
Atletico have a few injury concerns ahead of the match. Defenders Vrsaljko and Juanfran are doubtful about their fitness, as is Matias Fernandez. Centreback Diego Godin is out for the season through suspension.
REAL BETIS vs. ATLETICO DE MADRID MATCH PREDICTION
It is difficult to see anything but an away win in this match. Atletico Madrid will be a damaged team, and their fans will be hoping for a positive response. It will be important for Atletico to not be wasteful when the chances come, as they were in the last match.
Saul Niguez will be an important player most probably, as he has scored in his last two matches. In the end, it will be more or less a damage limitation exercise for the home team as the quality of players Atletico have will be too much for Real Betis. Therefore, my prediction will be an away win for Atletico Madrid, and maybe even a cleansheet.
MY PICK: ATLETICO MADRID (-145)
Additional Pick: Both teams to score NO (-123)
UD LAS PALMAS vs. FC BARCELONA
3-Way: 1: UD LAS PALMAS +2418; X +1248 Draw; 2: FC BARCELONA -769
Spread +2.5: 1: UD LAS PALAMAS +129; 2: FC BARCELONA -143
Total +4.5: Over -105; Under +116
UD LAS PALMAS
Saying that Las Palmas are in a poor run of form, will be an understatement. They have managed to secure survival, but no doubts their fans are deeply disheartened by the poor performances. They started the season considerably well. The attackers were linking up well with the midfielders, and the players scored some beautiful goals on the way. However, as the season progressed, their performance levels dropped, and results started to fall down. With two games left, the fans will be hoping that they see good, effective performances to finish off the season, but with league leaders Barcelona up next, it doesn’t really seem a good prospect up ahead for the home team.
Sitting at 14th position in the Spanish La Liga, Los Amarillos have gathered 39 points so far. If they win their remaining matches, they can finish as high as 11th in the league table. However, they have been in a very poor form in the league most recently. Their current league record over the last 6 games is 1-1-4. They have been poor in all of their last three games in the league. Two weeks ago, they were thrashed by Atletico Madrid with 5:0 at home. This defeat was followed by an away defeat against relegation threatened Sporting Gijon, who won 1:0, in a game were Las Palmas were very indecisive in their passing and in front of the goal.
Even after such poor form, Las Palmas have managed to ensure safety in the Spanish La Liga. The main reason behind this is their attack, that has often bailed them out, especially in the first half of the season. they have scored 52 goals so far, with 32 of them coming at home. But the major area of concern for the Los Amarillos will be their defense. They have conceded a massive 67 goals, and with an opponent like Barcelona, that number is only going to increase in all probability. They have managed to keep only 5 clean sheets in that duration.
Experienced midfielder Kevin Prince Boateng has been leading the scoring charts for Las Palmas, with 10 goals in the league, and 3 assists. Along with him, Forward Jonathon Viera has contributed with 7 goals and 7 assists each in the league.
There are many injury doubts for the coach to ponder upon while selecting his starting line-up. Vicente Gomez, Michel Macedo, Tana, Pedro Bigas, and Kevin Prince Boateng, are all major doubts for the weekend match. Marko Livaja is suspended for two matches.
FC BARCELONA
With only two matches left for the Catalan to push for Spanish La liga glory, it is extremely important that the team doesn’t lose focus or slip up in these matches, because as soon as they lose a match, Real Madrid would gain an upper hand in the title race. With many of their first team players out with injury, it is vital for the remaining players to shoulder responsibility and give their best for league glory at the end of the season. With no champions league games ahead, unlike rivals Real Madrid, Barca will have ample time to replenish their energy levels.
Sitting on top of the table with 84 points, Barca has been absolutely ruthless against opponents when it comes to winning matches. Of those 84 points, 45 have been won at the Camp Nou. The Catalans’ current league record is 5-0-1 (over the last 6 games). They have won both of their last 2 matches in the Spanish La Liga. A comfortable 3:0 away victory in the local derby against Espanyol, was followed by a 4:1 home win against Villareal last weekend. Keeping in mind the magnitude of the team that is Barcelona and with its stars, it’s quite a surprise to see that their most frequent result has been a 1:1 draw this season, which has occurred 5 times in the Spanish La Liga.
Barcelona’s attack is made up players who give the best of defenders nightmares. Barca have scored 108 goals in the matches, the highest in the Spanish La Liga, as they have blown away opponents led by their Holy Trinity of Messi, Neymar, and Suarez. 60 of those goals have been scored at home. Their defense has shown signs of Vulnerability this season, even though they have conceded just 34 goals. They have kept 13 clean sheets along the way.
The Triumvirate of MSN has been firing all cylinders. Messi has 35 goals scored in the league, which is the highest, followed by striker Luis Suarez who has scored 27 goals of his own. Suarez has been showing his creative side too, as he has already notched up 12 assists. German Goalkeeper Marc Andre Ter Stegen has kept 13 clean sheets, bettered only by Atletico keeper Jan Oblak.
Barcelona has quite a few players missing through injury. Aleix Vidal and Rafinha are long term absentees for the Catalans. Lionel Messi, Jordi alba both are doubts for unknown reasons, while French Defender Jeremy Mathieu is a doubt as he is recovering from an ankle injury. His compatriot Lucas Digne is back in training, which will be a welcome sign for Luis Enrique as he handles his defensive woes. Youngster Sergi Roberto is out with suspension.
UD LAS PALMAS vs. FC BARCELONA MATCH PREDICTION
Even though Barcelona has shown weaknesses during matches this season, it is difficult to see any other outcome from this match other than a Barcelona victory. With an attack that is fully fit and firing, with the exception of Leo Messi, who is a minor doubt for the match, Barcelona has enough in their tanks to have a comfortable win against the home side. However, Las Palmas can score a goal if they stay alert and move quickly to expose the space behind the Barca defense in the case of a rare concentration loss. Therefore, my prediction will be a comfortable win for Barcelona but taking in consideration their latest performances at the Estadio Gran Canaria, I think the under 4.5 goals is a very tempting option.
MY PICK: Under 4.5 goals (+116)
Additional Pick: Both teams to score YES (-141)
