The closing game of the Spanish La Liga 11th round is set for Sunday, November 5th, 2017, when we’ll see a great battle between Real Madrid and Las Palmas at Santiago Bernabeu. Both teams are playing poorly recently, and we are going to see how they will cope with all problems in their play.
In this preview we’ll take a closer look at these two sides, so don’t waste your time and check out our betting picks and predictions, like always here on GetMoreSports.
REAL MADRID vs. LAS PALMAS
3-Way: 1: Real Madrid -556; X: +1650 Draw; 2: Las Palmas +3800 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -3: Real Madrid -115; Las Palmas +114
Total +4.5: Over -125; Under +122
REAL MADRID
Los Blancos are in a pretty difficult situation after two consecutive defeats against Girona, 2:1, in the 10th round of the Spanish La Liga, and Tottenham, 3:1, in the fourth round of the UEFA Champions League group stage. Both games showed us that Spanish and European champions are in crisis. Girona was a better team on last weekend, and Tottenham dominated for 90 minutes at Wembley, so we just can’t decide which clash was a bigger upset.
Real Madrid has some serious problems at the back from the start of the season, and it’s not a secret. Against Girona, the 24-year old centre-back Raphael Varane played exceptionally well in the first half, but after he left the pitch because of the injury, everything falls apart at Real Madrid’s defensive line. Girona’s midfielder Pere Pons dribbled past defenders almost like Lionel Messi, allowing Christian Stuani to level the game, while just four minutes later Portu scored a winning goal after another poor reaction from Los Blanco’s defense.
The captain Sergio Ramos is looking pretty nervous on the pitch, and his marking is a disaster in the last couple of weeks. The left-back Marcelo seems like a low-grade player, and he’s probably playing at the lowest level in his career. Against Tottenham, he had a few ridiculous passes like never before, giving the ball away 29 times in 90 minutes. Obviously, after two years of winning, it is time for some changes, or they need a good, long rest.
After the first ten rounds of the Spanish La Liga, Los Blancos are at the third place of the table with 20 points and a 19:9 goal difference. They are eight points behind the leader Barcelona, and they have never overcome an eight points deficit to win a title. Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema scored one goal each in the La Liga so far, and it is their worst start of the La Liga campaign ever. The talented winger Marco Asensio had a great start of the season, but he also dropped in the form. Gareth Bale missed some games due to an injury, and his comeback could shake things a bit at the offensive end.
The manager Zinedine Zidane is well aware of all problems, and we’ll see how he’s going to deal with it. For the next match against Las Palmas, he’ll be without Mateo Kovacic (rupture of the patella), Daniel Carvajal (virus infection), and Raphael Varane (tear in the abductor muscle).
LAS PALMAS
Las Palmas suffered another defeat in the previous round of the Spanish La Liga, their eighth of the season, this time against Deportivo La Coruna, 3:1, in front of the home fans. La UD took the lead early in the game when the striker Loic Remy put the ball between the keeper’s legs after Jonathan Viera’s through ball. It was a great start for the home team, but in the 36th minute, Celso Borges made it 1:1 with a close-range header after Federico Cartabia’s pinpoint cross from the right wing.
In the 54th minute, Deportivo La Coruna took the lead, and it was Celso Borges again with the header, this time after Lucas Perez’s corner kick. La UD player’s tried to recover from Depor’s second goal, but when the centre-back Mauricio Lemos brought down Federico Cartabia inside the box, there was no way back for the home team. Lucas Perez converted the penalty kick for a convincing 3:1 victory at Estadio Gran Canaria.
Once again, Las Palmas’ defense had an awful game. They left Celso Borges all alone when he scored the first goal, and they allowed him a clear header after the corner kick in the 54th minute from just outside of the six-yard box. In ten matches so far La UD recorded just 34 defensive actions per game, winning 48% of aerial duels, and only 33% of tackles. They have to improve defensively, or they will be in all kinds of problems. So far, their defense is the worst in the league with 25 goals conceded.
On the other end, Las Palmas’ players created 90 scoring opportunities, averaging 85% of the pass accuracy, but they scored just eight goals, mostly because of their poor finishing job. In the ninth round against Villarreal, there were a plenty of chances in the first half when Loic Remy and Jonathan Viera just couldn’t find the net. Loic Remy is the team’s leading scorer with four goals in five appearances, while his colleague Jonathan Calleri added two in ten apps this season. Jonathan Viera is the best assistant with three dishes in ten apps, also adding a goal to his name.
After the first ten rounds of the Spanish La Liga, Las Palmas is laying at the 18th place with six points and an 8:25 goal difference. They’ve lost six La Liga games in a row, and even a new manager Pako Ayestaran couldn’t turn the things around. He also has some serious injury worries, as some of the best players will be sidelined for a month, at least. Jonathan Viera is suffering from a hamstring injury, Alen Halilovic is out with a malleolar injury, while Oussama Tannane has a tear in the abductor muscle.
REAL MADRID vs. LAS PALMAS – Match Prediction
Even though they are playing poorly recently, Los Blancos are huge favorites in this clash. They need a convincing win to restore some self-confidence, and the fans will demand blood against the worst defense in the Spanish La Liga. On the other side, La UD will play without the best player (Jonathan Viera). Maybe they still can get a goal at Santiago Bernabeu, but I’m looking for three or more into their net.
MY PICK: Over 4.5 Goals (-125)
