The upcoming 10th round of the Spanish La Liga is full of derby clashes, and in this preview, we would like to take a closer look at two games set for Saturday, October 28th, 2017, when Atletico Madrid welcomes Villarreal at Wanda Metropolitano, while Sevilla hosts Leganes at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.
Like always here on GetMoreSports, we’ll give you some tips and fresh information about these two encounters, along with our betting predictions.
ATLETICO MADRID vs. VILLARREAL
Three-Way: 1: Atletico Madrid -161; X: +330 Draw; 2: Villarreal +710 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -1: Atletico Madrid -108; Villarreal +102
Total +2.5: Over +106; Under -111
ATLETICO MADRID
Atleti got their fifth win of the La Liga campaign last weekend against Celta Vigo on the road, 1:0, after two consecutive draws with Barcelona and Leganes. They are currently in the fourth spot of the table with 19 points, a 14:5 goal difference and a form of WDDWW, avoiding a defeat in the first nine rounds. However, their overall form isn’t quite brilliant, as Atleti played a nil-nil draw with Qarabag in the third round of the UEFA Champions League, while they recorded a 1:1 draw with Elche in the first leg of the Spanish Copa del Rey round of 32.
The manager Diego Simeone is certainly worried about team’s attacking displays, as his boys bagged two goals in one game just twice in the previous 10 encounters in all competitions. The striker Kevin Gameiro scored the winning goal against Celta Vigo, his first of the season in four appearances, while two other strikers, Luciano Vietto and Fernando Torres, are both goalless so far. The French star Antoine Griezmann netted three times in 10 appearances in all competitions, which is quite disappointing.
On the other side, Atleti are playing well at the defensive end, and it is a good starting point for Diego Simeone’s team. They are recording 41 defensive actions per game, winning 46% of aerial duels, and 40% of tackles. With just five goals conceded in nine rounds, Atletico Madrid’s defense is the third best in the Spanish La Liga. They need to continue this trend and try to be more efficient in the final third.
There are no injury worries among the squad, and Diego Simeone can count on all players for the upcoming derby clash with Villarreal.
VILLARREAL
The Yellow Submarine is finally in the right gear after the slow start of the season with three consecutive victories in the Spanish La Liga, beating Las Palmas (4:0), Girona (2:1), and Eibar (3:0) in the previous three rounds. Villarreal is now at the sixth spot of the table with 16 points and a 15:10 goal difference. Meanwhile, they were beaten by Ponferradina, 1:0, in the first leg of the Spanish Copa del Rey round of 32, although they’ve recorded 22 shots on Ponferradina’s goal.
In the eighth round of the Spanish La Liga, Villarreal hammered Las Palmas, 4:0, in front of the home fans, showing some great attacking performance.The 26-year old striker Cedric Bakambu continued with torturing opponents’ goalkeepers with another magnificent strike, his eight of this year’s La Liga campaign. Bakambu is a team’s leading scorer, and arguably Villarreal’s best player so far. The fans surely expect more from Carlos Bacca, who’s playing on loan from AC Milan, as the Columbian striker bagged just two goals in nine La Liga apps.
The manager Javier Calleja is still without his two goalkeepers, as Andres Fernandez and Sergio Asenjo are both out with a cruciate ligament rupture. The Argentinian keeper Mariano Barbosa, who was the third choice at the start of the season, is doing a great job, and the defensive line is having more trust in his abilities.
ATLETICO MADRID vs. VILLARREAL – Match Prediction
Villarreal is in a good form, and they’ll travel to Madrid with just one thing on their mind – how to stay undefeated against one of the best teams in Spain. On the other hand, Atleti needs a win to stay close to Barcelona, and I expect to see more from their attack. It is going to be a great battle and a pretty difficult game to predict a winner, but I’ll go with the home team, as I believe Villarreal cannot prolong the winning streak at Wanda Metropolitano.
MY PICK: Atletico Madrid AH -1 (-108)
SEVILLA vs LEGANES
Three-Way: 1: Sevilla -141; X: +307 Draw; 2: Leganes +588
Spread -1: Sevilla +117; Leganes -119
Total +2.5: Over +112; Under -105
SEVILLA
The Great of Andalusia recorded three defeats in a row (Valencia, Spartak Moscow, and Athletic Bilbao) before they’ve finally got a win against Cartagena last Tuesday in the first leg of the Spanish Copa del Rey round of 32. Eduardo Berizzo’s boys totally disappointed their fans in the previous round of the Spanish La Liga, when they were easily beaten by Valencia at Mestalla, 4:0. It could be even worse at the end, as they’ve missed too many chances, allowing Valencia’s players to score at will.
In the last ten games in all competitions Sevilla recorded five wins, four defeats, and one draw, so we can say they are a pretty unpredictable team. After the first nine rounds of the Spanish La Liga, they are sitting at the eight spot of the table with 16 points, a 9:8 goal difference, and a form of LLWLW. The striker Wissam Ben Yedder scored just once in the La Liga, out of his seven goals this season, while Ganso and Luis Muriel added two each. They need to be more efficient if they want to challenge the first four spots of the table, which lead to the UEFA Champions League next season.
Eduardo Berizzo is still without three important players, as Daniel Carrico (muscle injury), Nicolas Pareja (osteitis pubis), and Steven N’Zonzi (sprained ankle) are all sidelined for the next fixture. Certainly, the Argentinian tactician has a lot of worries on his mind.
LEGANES
Leganes is having a great season so far, as they are laying at the fifth spot of the Spanish La Liga table after the first nine rounds with 17 points, an 8:3 goal difference and a form of WWDWD. Some football fans just can’t believe they are performing so well, as they’ve conceded just three goals so far, and their defense is the best in the league along with Barca’s. Maybe their attack is not so good, but they are still managing to record points on a regular basis.
Leganes’ defense has kept the clean sheet for five consecutive games in the La Liga, and it is a remarkable job, no doubt. The team is averaging 43 defensive actions per game, winning 48% of aerial duels, and 39% of tackles. On the other end, Leganes’ players created 72 scoring chances so far, which is a quite good balance. The striker Claudio Beauvue, who’s playing on loan from Celta Vigo, scored the winning goal against Athletic Bilbao in the previous round, and in the last couple of weeks, he showed he’s going to be a great reinforcement.
The manager Asier Garitano will continue with the patient and defensive approach as long as his team is winning points. He can count on all players for the next game with Sevilla, besides the keeper Jon Ander Serantes, who’s sidelined for at least two months with a shoulder injury.
SEVILLA vs. LEGANES – Match Prediction
Leganes is in a great form recently, and they kept their net intact for a long time in the Spanish La Liga, while Sevilla is still a favorite in this one. I expect to see the home team bouncing back after some disappointing results, or they’ll be in all kind of troubles.
MY PICK: Sevilla to Win (-141)
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