Some interesting matches are waiting for us over the weekend as a part of the Spanish La Liga Round 21, including a huge derby between Valencia and Real Madrid at Mestalla set for Saturday, January 27th, 2018. A local Basque derby between Athletic Bilbao and Eibar will open the round on Friday, January 26th, 2018, Barcelona will host Alaves on Sunday, January 28th, 2018, while the closing match of the round is set for Monday, January 29th, 2018, when Celta Vigo welcomes Real Betis in another thrilling clash.
ATHLETIC BILBAO vs. EIBAR
3-Way: 1: Athletic Bilbao -118; X: +250 Draw; 2: Eibar +363 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -0.5: Athletic Bilbao -118; Eibar +104
Total +2.5: Over +113; Under -137
ATHLETIC BILBAO
After a stirring 2:2 draw at Getafe last weekend the Lions maintained their string to seven straight La Liga matches without a defeat, while they kept their net intact in the last three tilts on the home soil. They are still six points away from Sevilla in the sixth spot, but recent displays are certainly encouraging, so the fans expect three points on Friday against the local rivals from Eibar. The Lions were quite poor in front of the home fans this season, recording three wins, four draws and two losses with a 7:5 goal difference.
Injuries and suspensions: Mikel Balenziaga (thigh), Iker Muniain (knee), Oscar de Marcos (hamstring, doubtful)
Head-to-head: Athletic Bilbao has won four in a row against Eibar, the last two at Ipurua with a 1:0 result, while Eibar scored in their last two losses at San Mames, so they’ll try to do it for the third time in a row this Friday.
EIBAR
The Gunsmiths played a disappointing 1:1 draw with Malaga at home last Monday, and with just three days to rest they will travel to San Mames. Eibar is unbeaten in the last three away matches, winning against Las Palmas and Alaves 2:1, and playing a nil-nil draw with in-form Getafe, while their overall 3-1-5 record on the road isn’t so impressive, just like a poor 7:20 goal difference.
Injuries and suspensions: Sergi Enrich (knee), Pedro Leon (knee), Fran Rico (knee), Yoel Rodriguez (knee, doubtful)
Athletic Bilbao vs. Eibar – Match Prediction
This should be a tight game with no more than two goals in a total, and it could be easily finished with a 1:0 or 2:0 home win. However, I believe the Gunsmiths could find the net against the local rival, as their attacking game has improved recently. Also, the last six La Liga matches at San Mames were finished with two goals or less in a total, so this derby is a nice opportunity to see some goals.
MY PICK: Over 2.5 Goals (+113)
DEPORTIVO LA CORUNA vs. LEVANTE
3-Way: 1: Deportivo La Coruna +102; X: +242 Draw; 2: Levante +288 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -0.5: Deportivo La Coruna +101; Levante -114
Total +2.5: Over +100; Under -120
DEPORTIVO LA CORUNA
Depor’s fans survived a horror last weekend when their beloved club was brutally beaten by Real Madrid at Santiago Bernabeu, 7:1, while Deportivo’s defense allowed five goals in the second half, which tells you a lot about their self-confidence. They are still in the relegation zone, two points behind their next opponent Levante who’s sitting at the safe 17th spot. Nothing seems gladly at Riazor, as they were beaten two times in a row on the home soil, while they’ve suffered four losses in the last five La Liga games, earning just one draw in the process.
Injuries and suspensions: Sidnei (thigh), Luisinho (back), Pedro Mosquera (groin), Raul Albentosa (back)
Head-to-head: Levante hasn’t beaten Depor since 2012/2013 season, while they’ve lost three out of the six meetings since then. In the second round earlier in the season the match was finished in a 2:2 draw, although Depor had a 2:0 lead.
LEVANTE
The Frogs are seriously struggling as they’ve lost three consecutive La Liga games scoring just one goal in the process and conceding six in a return. Now they are winless in the previous eight La Liga rounds, bagging just two goals on those eight occasions, and with just 16 goals scored in 20 matches thus far, they are among the most inefficient teams in the league. They’ve scored six goals on the road in nine encounters, enough for a 1-5-3 record.
Injuries and suspensions: Alex Alegria (knee), Ivan Lopez (knee), Raul Fernandez (hip, doubtful), Tono (groin, doubtful)
Deportivo La Coruna vs. Levante – Match Prediction
This is an important game for both teams, as just two points separate them, so it should be a tight clash with a patient approach on both sides. Likewise, these two clubs combined just 38 goals so far, which is barely a goal per game on the average.
MY PICK: Under 2.5 Goals (-120)
VALENCIA vs. REAL MADRID
3-Way: 1: Valencia +337; X: +337 Draw; 2: Real Madrid -141 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread +1: Valencia -131; Real Madrid +115
Total +3.5: Over -115; Under -105
VALENCIA
The Bats were surprisingly beaten 2:1 by Las Palmas in the previous round of the Spanish La Liga, and it was their third defeat in the last five La Liga matches. They are still in the third spot of the table, but they’ve lost the pace with the leader Barcelona, and the gap is now 14 points. However, the Bats will have to improve their form as soon as possible, as they are just six points above Villarreal in the fifth spot at the moment.
Injuries and suspensions: Jeison Murillo (osteitis pubis), Carlos Soler (malleolar, doubtful)
Head-to-head: In the last ten H2H meetings we saw both teams scoring, while just once on those ten occasions we got less than three goals in a total. Their previous duel in the second round this season was ended in a 2:2 draw.
REAL MADRID
Los Blancos are having a poor season so far by their standards, as they are sitting at the fourth spot of the La Liga table, 19 points behind their arch-rival Barcelona on the top. Real Madrid smashed Deportivo La Coruna 7:1 at home last weekend to end a three-game winless string, but if they fail to win at Mestalla this Saturday, the fans will be furious for sure. Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brace against Malaga, while he couldn’t find the net in the previous three tilts on the road in the La Liga.
Injuries and suspensions: Dani Ceballos (ankle), Jesus Vallejo (hamstring), Daniel Carvajal (suspension through sports court)
Valencia vs. Real Madrid – Match Prediction
I just have to bet on goals here, as everything is indicating at least three goals in a total, while I expect to see an open flow match with a lot of scoring opportunities on both sides of the field.
MY PICK: Over 3.5 Goals (-115)
MALAGA vs. GIRONA
3-Way: 1: Malaga +148; X: +215 Draw; 2: Girona +209 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread 0: Malaga -132; Girona +117
Total +2.5: Over +120; Under -147
MALAGA
The Anchovies earned an important point last weekend at Eibar (1:1), but after Las Palmas upset Valencia they are sitting at the bottom of the La Liga table all alone with 12 points and a 14:34 goal difference, six points deep in the relegation zone. At least, they’ve ended a four-game losing string which should be a huge boost before they face the newcomers Girona this Saturday.
Injuries and suspensions: Juankar (knee), Weligton (meniscus), Zdravko Kuzmanovic (red card suspension)
Head-to-head: Their first H2H meeting was in the second round of this season when Girona won at home, 1:0.
GIRONA
After a glorious 6:0 victory over Las Palmas at home two weeks ago, Girona upset Atletico Madrid in the previous round of the Spanish La Liga, earning a well-deserved 1:1 draw at Wanda Metropolitano. Girona is currently in the 10th spot of the table with 27 points and a 29:29 goal difference, while in the previous three matches on the road they’ve recorded one draw and two defeats, still scoring a goal on all three occasions.
Injuries and suspensions: Pedro Alcala (ankle, doubtful)
Malaga vs. Girona – Match Prediction
I expect to see a nervous game, and it could go either way. Although Girona is a tough opponent in their rookie season in the Spanish La Liga, I’ll go with the home side, as they desperately need a win.
MY PICK: Malaga to Win (+148)
VILLARREAL vs. REAL SOCIEDAD
3-Way: 1: Villarreal +116; X: +252 Draw; 2: Real Sociedad +236 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -0.5: Villarreal +116; Real Sociedad -135
Total +2.5: Over -133; Under +110
VILLARREAL
The Yellow Submarine is playing in a tremendous form recently recording four wins in the last five La Liga matches along with a 1:1 draw against Deportivo La Coruna. After a brilliant 1:0 victory over Real Madrid at Santiago Bernabeu two weeks ago, Villarreal won three points against Levante at home (2:1), and now they are just one point behind Los Blancos in the fourth spot. At home, they have a solid 5-2-2 record with a 17:8 goal difference, but they couldn’t keep the clean sheet in the last four tilts on the home soil.
Injuries and suspensions: Ruben Semedo (thigh), Andres Fernandez (knee), Nicola Sansone (calf, doubtful)
Head-to-head: Real Sociedad won the first duel of this season (3:0), while their previous clash at Estadio de la Ceramica was ended in a 1:1 draw.
REAL SOCIEDAD
A 2:1 defeat against Celta Vigo in the previous round was Real Sociedad’s third in a row, and now they are nine points behind Sevilla in the sixth spot. Sociedad is without a win in the last five away matches, recording two draws and three losses in the process, while their defense is far better on the road where they’ve conceded 13 out of the 36 goals thus far.
Injuries and suspensions: David Zurutuza (thigh), Ruben Pardo (ankle, doubtful), Adnan Januzaj (muscle, doubtful), Geronimo Rulli (finger, doubtful)
Villarreal vs. Real Sociedad – Match Prediction
This is one of the derby matches of Round 21, and I believe we’ll see a thrilling game with some goals on both sides. These two teams combined 62 goals in the first 20 rounds, so I’m backing the over here.
MY PICK: Over 2.5 Goals (-133)
LEGANES vs. ESPANYOL
3-Way: 1: Leganes +140; X: +199 Draw; 2: Espanyol +242 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread 0: Leganes -153; Espanyol +133
Total +2: Over +112; Under -133
LEGANES
Even they were two goals down, Leganes earned a 2:2 draw at Alaves last weekend, their second in the previous five La Liga rounds along with one win at home against Real Sociedad (1:0) and two losses on the road against Betis (3:2), and Deportivo La Coruna (1:0). Leganes is currently in the 13th spot of the table, seven points behind the Europa League spot, and nine points above the relegation zone.
Injuries and suspensions: Jon Ander Serantes (shoulder, doubtful)
Head-to-head: In their three H2H duels Espanyol was victorious two times, while Leganes won 1:0 in their previous meeting earlier in the season.
ESPANYOL
After a few good results, Espanyol was heavily beaten 3:0 by Sevilla at home, and now they are in the 14th spot of the La Liga table, one point behind their next rival Leganes. Espanyol was awful on the road this season, recording one win, four draws, and four defeats with a 6:15 goal difference. They have a lot of issues in the final third this season, scoring just 16 goals in 20 La Liga matches.
Injuries and suspensions: Adrian Lopez (meniscus), Jose Manuel Jurado (muscle, doubtful)
Leganes vs. Espanyol – Match Prediction
This should be the tightest clash of the round, as both sides rely on their defensive work, while their attacks are among the most inefficient in the La Liga.
MY PICK: Under 2 Goals (-133)
ATLETICO MADRID vs. LAS PALMAS
3-Way: 1: Atletico Madrid -556; X: +629 Draw; 2: Las Palmas +1609 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -2: Atletico Madrid -108; Las Palmas -102
Total +3: Over -139; Under +118
ATLETICO MADRID
Atleti disappointed their fans last weekend with a 1:1 draw against Girona at home, so now they are 11 points behind the leader Barcelona. They are still sitting at the second spot of the table, but their inefficient play is frustrating, as they’ve scored 29 goals in 20 La Liga matches. At home, Atleti scored more than goals just twice, both times in the Spanish Copa del Rey against the third tier sides Lleida and Elche.
Injuries and suspensions: Diego Costa (hamstring)
Head-to-head: In the last seven H2H meetings Atletico Madrid is leading 6:1, while they’ve scored ten goals in the last two duels.
LAS PALMAS
La UD is drowning, but they somehow managed to beat Valencia 2:1 at home in the previous round of the Spanish La Liga. They are no more the worst team in the league, sitting at the 19th spot of the table with 14 points, a 16:47 goal difference and a form of WLLLD, four points behind Levante in the safe 17th spot. On the road, Las Palmas has lost three games in a row without scoring a goal while they’ve conceded ten in a return.
Injuries and suspensions: Sergi Samper (ankle), Michel Macedo (leg)
Atletico Madrid vs. Las Palmas – Match Prediction
This is a perfect chance for Atleti to bag more than two goals in front of the home fans, besides their defensive approach, as the worst defense in the league will be on the other side.
MY PICK: Atletico Madrid AH -2 (-108)
SEVILLA vs. GETAFE
3-Way: 1: Sevilla -182; X: +319 Draw; 2: Getafe +536 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -1: Sevilla -106; Getafe -104
Total +2.5: Over -128; Under +107
SEVILLA
Sevilla put an end to a three-game losing string with a convincing 3:0 victory over Espanyol on the road last weekend, so they are still in the sixth spot of the La Liga table with 32 points and a 26:28 goal difference, three points behind Real Madrid in the fourth spot. Meanwhile, Sevilla reached the Semi-Final of the Spanish Copa del Rey after beating Atletico Madrid 3:1 in the second leg at home.
Injuries and suspensions: Daniel Carrico (thigh), Nicolas Pareja (groin, doubtful)
Head-to-head: Sevilla has a better H2H record in the last five matches (3-1-1), and they won their first meeting of the season in the second round, 2:0.
GETAFE
Getafe earned a 2:2 draw against Athletic Bilbao at home last weekend, their first in the previous five La Liga matches along with two wins and two losses. They are in the ninth spot of the table at the moment with 27 points and a 25:20 goal difference, while they’ve lost three consecutive games away from home without scoring a single goal.
Injuries and suspensions: Chuli (ankle), Jorge Molina (yellow card suspension)
Sevilla vs. Getafe – Match Prediction
Getafe is playing poorly on the road, so I’m backing the hosts in this one, particularly because they need to start winning on the regular basis if they want to challenge the Champions League spots.
MY PICK: Sevilla AH -1 (-106)
BARCELONA vs. ALAVES
3-Way: 1: Barcelona -1111; X: +1098 Draw; 2: Alaves +2246 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -3: Barcelona +114; Alaves -129
Total +4: Over -111; Under -106
BARCELONA
Barca has won six La Liga matches in a row, while they’ve failed to keep the clean sheet just once in the process. They are topping the table with a magnificent 17-3-0 record, 11 points ahead of the closest rival Atletico Madrid, while at home, they’ve recorded eight wins and one draw with a 29:4 goal difference. Barcelona is still missing Ousmane Dembele due to an injury, but it doesn’t seem to affect their attacking flow.
Injuries and suspensions: Ousmane Dembele (muscle), Thomas Vermaelen (muscle)
Head-to-head: Barca won the previous three H2H duels, including a 2:0 victory earlier in the season. Alaves’ last win came last season when they’ve beaten Barca 2:1 at Camp Nou.
ALAVES
The Glorious One earned the first draw of the season last weekend against Leganes at home (2:2), even they had a two-goal lead. However, they’ve moved up to the 16th spot of the table, and now they are three points above the relegation zone. In the last five matches on the road, Alaves has recorded one win and four losses, scoring four goals in the process and conceding 11 in a return.
Injuries and suspensions: Burgui (groin), Hector Hernandez (malleolar), Tomas Pina (yellow card suspension), Rodrigo Ely (red card suspension)
Barcelona vs. Alaves – Match Prediction
This should be an easy job for the home team, but the spread is a tricky one. The visitors will park the bus, for sure, however, I’ll go with Barca’s convincing victory.
MY PICK: Barcelona AH -3 (+114)
CELTA VIGO vs. BETIS
3-Way: 1: Celta Vigo -132; X: +296 Draw; 2: Betis +347 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -0.5: Celta Vigo -131; Betis +112
Total +3: Over -113; Under -104
CELTA VIGO
The Sky Blues have won three out of the last four La Liga matches, including a great 2:1 victory over Real Sociedad on the road last weekend, and now they are sitting at the seventh spot of the table with 28 points and a 35:28 goal difference. In the last five games on the home soil, Celta Vigo recorded two wins, one draw, and two losses with a 6:5 goal difference.
Injuries and suspensions: Pablo Hernandez (thigh)
Head-to-head: Betis won the previous two H2H duels, including a second-round victory at home, 2:1. Celta’s last win came three seasons ago when they overcame Betis at Balaidos, 4:2.
BETIS
The Big Greens were demolished 5:0 by Barca at home in the previous round of the Spanish La Liga, and it was their second defeat in the last five matches along with three wins, while we saw 22 goals in a total on these five occasions. Betis is currently in the 11th spot of the La Liga table with 27 points and a 33:41 goal difference.
Injuries and suspensions: Antonio Sanabria (meniscus), Joel Campbell (ankle)
Celta Vigo vs. Betis – Match Prediction
This should be an entertaining clash between two efficient sides, and they should easily produce at least three goals in a total.
MY PICK: Over 3 Goals (-113)
