The fifth round of the Spanish La Liga is closing down on this Thursday, September 21st, 2017, with three exciting games. Villarreal meets Espanyol at El Madrigal in search for a third consecutive win, while Celta Vigo welcomes Getafe at Balaidos. The last game of the round is between Levante and Real Sociedad at Ciutat de Valencia.
Hopefully, we’ll see some thrilling action, and in this preview, we would like to take a look at teams’ aspirations.
VILLARREAL vs. ESPANYOL
Three-Way: 1: Villarreal -118; X: +286 Draw; 2: Espanyol +450
Spread -0.5: Villarreal -132; Espanyol +123
Total +2.5: Over +108; Under -114
VILLARREAL
The Yellow Submarine is on a winning path, as they were victorious in the last couple of La Liga rounds, beating Betis at home and Alaves away. After two starting defeats against Levante and Real Sociedad without scoring a goal, Fran’s team picked up the pieces bagging six times and earning maximum six points from two games. When we add a convincing win over Astana in the Europa League, it is obvious that Villarreal is building up their form.
In the previous La Liga clash against Alaves Cedric Bakambu has scored twice, while summer’s addition Carlos Bacca added a goal, his second of the season. The Columbian striker should be one of the key players in Fran’s team, and if he restore the form from a couple of years ago when he played for Sevilla (34 goals in 72 La Liga matches), Villarreal could be a serious Champions League contender.
The left-back Adrian Marin and a midfielder Bruno Soriano are out due to injuries, while Nicola Sansone will be serving a red card suspension.
ESPANYOL
Espanyol finally got their first three points of the La Liga campaign, beating Celta Vigo, 2:1, at the RCDE Stadium. After 24 minutes they were already two goals ahead, and they had a few chances to finish the job. In the end, a 2:1 victory satisfied the fans and manager Quique Sanchez Flores. Now they will face Villareal in one of derby matches of the La Liga fifth round.
Espanyol had solid performances in the previous rounds, except for city derby when they were easily beaten by Barca, 5:0. Quique Flores’ team is creating scoring opportunities (28 so far), netting just three times. The average pass accuracy of 74% is inadmissible, so there is a lot of work for Flores’ boys if they want to make progress.
There are no serious injury worries among the Espanyol’s squad, besides Alvaro Vazquez and Javi Lopez who are doubtful due to injuries.
VILLARREAL vs. ESPANYOL – Match Prediction
Last year Villarreal won four points out of two clashes against Espanyol. This time I expect to see a close encounter with a tough battle in the midfield. If you like to play on goals, maybe it’s the best to put your money on Both teams to score YES, as both of them have some dangerous threats in the attack.
MY PICK: Both teams to score YES (-105)
CELTA VIGO vs. GETAFE
Three-Way: 1: Celta Vigo -118; X: +290 Draw; 2: Getafe +409
Spread -0.5: Celta Vigo -125; Getafe +121
Total +2.5: Over -104; Under +100
CELTA VIGO
The Sky Blues earned just three points in the first four rounds of the new La Liga season, with one win and three losses. Certainly a bad start, far away from their desires. Celta was playing magnificently last year under Eduardo Berizzo management, who’s now on Sevilla’s helm, and it’s obvious that the new coach Juan Carlos Unzue has a lot to do if he wants to restate the success.
In the previous round against Espanyol, his defense was awful, making crucial mistakes that led to goals. Celta is still having a good passing game, with an 84% of average pass accuracy, while they have 56% of ball possession. However, scoring more goals then conceding is what wins games.
The Serbian defensive midfielder Nemanja Radoja has knee problems, while the striker John Guidetti is doubtful due to a collarbone fracture. The defender Facundo Roncaglia could be on the team, but he’s still suffering from a back injury.
GETAFE
The Deep Blues are playing pretty well after they’re back in the La Liga. With four points out of the first four rounds, they are laying at the 14th spot, pretty encouraging start for Jose Bordalas’ team. Two defeats came from much better teams – Barcelona and Sevilla.
Getafe is playing attacking football, and they’ve created 37 chances so far (seventh in the La Liga). The midfielder Faycal Fajr is on fire, as the 29-years old Moroccan has 12 key passes and one assist to his name. Poor shot accuracy (just 33%) is what Getafe players need to improve. If they get better in this segment, goals will come, and then the sky is the limit. Jose Bordalas is still missing some important players, as Dani Pacheco, Karim Joda, and Jefferson Montero are sidelined with injuries.
CELTA VIGO vs. GETAFE – Match Prediction
Celta is still looking for a decent form, so this could be a tricky match for them. They need a win to restore the self-confidence, while Getafe will stand a chance if they continue with the same aggressive approach. It could be a tight game with the unpredictable outcome, but I think it is the best to put your money on Both teams to score YES, as these two teams are playing offensively with players capable to score. The additional pick is to go with the over 2.5 goals.
MY PICK: Both teams to score YES (-123)
Additional Pick: Over 2.5 goals (-104)
LEVANTE vs. REAL SOCIEDAD
Three-Way: 1: Levante +210; X: +250 Draw; 2: Real Sociedad +154
Spread 0: Levante +120; Real Sociedad -116
Total +2.5: Over -103; Under +100
LEVANTE
After the first four rounds of the La Liga 2017/18 season, Levante is still undefeated, with one win and three draws. The Frogs are certainly quite happy with their start of the campaign, and now they are looking to continue with good results against Real Sociedad in front of the home fans.
The midfielder Enis Bardhi is a key player who created nine-goal scoring chances for his teammates, adding two goals to his name. The 22-years old Macedonian is the main force, and Levante’s fans are hoping there is more from him.
The Frogs’ manager Juan Ramon Lopez Muniz will have to bring a new player to the starting eleven, as the defensive midfielder Jefferson Lerma suffered a muscle injury, while the defender Ivan Lopez and a striker Roger Marti are still unavailable due to injuries.
REAL SOCIEDAD
Real Sociedad is probably the biggest surprise of the Spanish La Liga so far, as they are holding the third spot with three wins and one loss against Real Madrid in the previous round. The team’s manager Eusebio prefers attacking football, and after four rounds his guys have an 11:7 goal difference. With some great players among the squad, Real Sociedad could fight for the Champions League place for the next season.
The 34-years old captain Xabi Prieto is leading the team, as the veteran has five key passes and two assists so far. He’s the best passer, too, with 126 completed passes and 89% of pass accuracy. Asier Illarramendi is adding strength to the midfield, while Juanmi is a top scorer with three goals in four apps.
Inigo Martinez, who’s a defense’s chief, has muscular problems, and his absence is a big problem. It’s a long season and he won’t be forced to play if he’s not fully recovered.
LEVANTE vs. REAL SOCIEDAD – Match Prediction
Levante was lucky to earn a draw against Valencia in the previous round at home stadium. On the other side, Real Sociedad was beaten by Real Madrid, so they’ll look to bounce back with a good result in this one. It’s going to be a tight game, but I’ll put the money on visitors, as they are a better team at the moment.
MY PICK: Real Sociedad to Win (+154)
