The Spanish La Liga will tip-off this weekend with Round 14, and the opening match is set for Friday, December 1st, 2017, when Malaga welcomes Levante at La Rosaleda. Here, on GetMoreSports, you can check out some interesting betting picks and predictions for this clash, so, don’t waste your time and join the action.
MALAGA vs. LEVANTE
3-Way: 1: Malaga -111; X: +279 Draw; 2: Levante +409 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -0.5: Malaga -118; Levante +112
Total +2.5: Over +114; Under -116
MALAGA
Malaga is showing some signs of improvement recently, recording their first two victories of the season in the previous five La Liga matches, both times at home – against Celta Vigo (2:1), and Deportivo La Coruna (3:2). On the other side, they lost the other three tilts in the last five La Liga rounds, but it was a heavyweight schedule for the Anchovies, as they visited Real Madrid (3:2), Villarreal (2:0), and Barcelona (2:0). Malaga lost all their eight away matches this season, including a 2:1 defeat against Numancia in the first leg of the Spanish Copa del Rey Round of 32 when Malaga allowed two goals in the injury time of the second half.
In the previous round of the Spanish La Liga, the Anchovies put on a solid performance against Los Blancos at Santiago Bernabeu when they were beaten in the end, 3:2, but they managed to score twice against the defending champions, while Malaga’s goalkeeper Roberto had a tremendous day between the sticks. Roberto made at least five topnotch saves, and on several occasions, he stopped the ball when the whole stadium thought it was in. He was helpless in those situations when Los Blancos scored goals, and certainly, he was the saddest man on the pitch at the end of 90 minutes.
Malaga was trailing three times at Santiago Bernabeu. The first time, after Karim Benzema scored the opening goal, Malaga’s players needed just nine minutes to level the match. It was Diego Rolan with a great first touch inside the box and a clinical finish. Just three minutes after Rolan’s goal, Casemiro scored the second for Real Madrid, and until the halftime, only Roberto could save the visitors. In the 58th minute, Chory Castro equalized with a long-range left-foot shot, but it was a poor reaction from Los Blancos’ goalkeeper. Unfortunately for Malaga, Castro’s goal wasn’t enough to earn a draw at Santiago Bernabeu, as Cristiano Ronaldo scored the third goal for the home side in the 76th minute, as he hammered the ball into a net after Roberto saved his shot from the penalty spot.
The Anchovies are in the 18th spot of the Spanish La Liga table with seven points and an 11:28 goal difference after the first 13 rounds, five points behind Deportivo La Coruna at the safe 17th spot. At home, they have recorded two wins, one draw, and three losses with a 9:12 goal difference, earning all their seven points of the campaign in front of the home fans. On the road, Malaga was disastrous with a 0-0-7 record and a 2:16 goal difference. Likewise, Malaga’s defensive job was terrible so far, as they allowed their opponents to score in every single game this season, conceding 20 goals in the second 45 minutes. If they want to survive in La Liga, they have to defend on a much higher level.
The 24-year old Uruguayan striker Diego Rolan is the team’s main force with three goals in eight appearances, while the winger Chory Castro bagged two goals in six games this season. The midfielder Juanpi Anor and the winger Keko are the best assist-makers so far with two dishes apiece. The 25-year old striker Borja Baston, who’s playing on loan from Swansea, scored just one goal in nine La Liga appearances, while the midfielder Recio added one goal and one assist to his name.
The manager Michel is surely happy with two victories in the last couple of weeks, but there is still a lot of work ahead of his team. For the next game against Levante, Michel will miss the right-back Miguel Torres (muscular problems), the left-back Federico Ricca (shoulder injury), and the midfielder Zdravko Kuzmanovic (muscle injury), while the left-back Juankar suffered a cruciate ligament rupture and he’ll be sidelined for at least six months.
LEVANTE
The Frogs have won just one out of their last eight La Liga matches, recording three draws and four losses in a process, and showing some weaknesses at the back, as they’ve conceded 16 goals on those eight occasions. In the previous round of the Spanish La Liga Levante was demolished by Atletico Madrid in front of the home fans, 5:0, and it was arguably their worst performance of the season. The Frogs took 17 shots toward Jan Oblak’s goal, one more than their opponents, but only two of them finished on target. They had a ball on their feet for 45% of the time, creating a few decent scoring opportunities, particularly in the first half. However, what’s the most important, they made some huge mistakes on the defensive end which led to a couple of goals.
In the fifth minute of the match, the centre-back Rober Pier put the ball behind his own keeper after an awful reaction from Kevin Gameiro’s cross. It was a nightmare start for The Frogs who tried to respond, but in the 29th minute, another mistake cost them the second goal. This time the goalkeeper Oier Olazabal took an unnecessary walkabout to allow an easy finish for Kevin Gameiro. Until the end of the match, Levante’s defense completely fell apart, allowing Kevin Gameiro and Antoine Griezmann to fill their net.
After the first 13 rounds of the Spanish La Liga The Frogs are sitting at the 14th spot of the table with 15 points, a 14:20 goal difference and a 3-6-4 record, eight points above their next rival Malaga and the relegation zone. At home, they have recorded two wins, three draws, and three losses with a 9:13 goal difference, while they are winless in the previous four matches on the home soil earning just one point in the process. Levante has played five times away from home, recording one victory, three draws and one defeat with a 5:7 goal difference.
The 22-year old talented Macedonian midfielder Enis Bardhi is playing his first season in La Liga, and he is Levante’s top scorer with four goals in 12 appearances, along with the experienced winger Jose Luis Morales who also added two assists to his name in 11 apps this season. The 23-year old winger Ivi is another talented player in Levante’s squad, and he scored two goals in 11 matches, adding two dishes to his name. The 25-year old centre-back Chema led the defense in all 13 La Liga matches, adding one goal on his account.
The manager Juan Muniz has serious injury problems among the squad, as the right-back Ivan Lopez, and strikers Roger Marti and Alex Alegria are all sidelined with a cruciate ligament rupture, while midfielders Sasa Lukic and Jefferson Lerma, and the left-back Antonio Luna are all doubtful due to muscle injuries.
MALAGA vs. LEVANTE – Match Prediction
Malaga desperately needs another victory on the home soil, particularly against Levante who’s just eight points ahead. On the other side, The Frogs will try to hit on the counter, and they’ve already shown us some deadly skills in the previous rounds, while they are certainly disturbed after a heavy defeat against Atletico Madrid in the previous round. If Malaga improves their defensive work, I think they will win this one.
MY PICK: Malaga to Win (-111)
