The closing games of the Spanish La Liga 10th round are set for Monday, October 30th, 2017, when Las Palmas hosts Deportivo La Coruna at Estadio Gran Canaria, while Espanyol welcomes Betis at RCDE Stadium.
In this preview, we’ll take a closer look at these two encounters, in order to give you some useful tips and betting predictions, like we always do here on GetMoreSports. So, let’s start with the first match.
LAS PALMAS vs. DEPORTIVO LA CORUNA
Three-Way: 1: Las Palmas +127; X: +272 Draw; 2: Deportivo La Coruna +245 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -0.5: Las Palmas +120; Deportivo La Coruna -123
Total +2.5: Over -118; Under +124
LAS PALMAS
After five defeats in a row, it is time for awakening at Estadio Gran Canaria or they’ll be in all kinds of trouble very soon. La UD is at the 18th spot of the Spanish La Liga table with 6 points, and a 7:22 goal difference after the first nine rounds. At least, they won the first leg of the Spanish Copa del Rey round of 32 against Deportivo La Coruna on the road, 4:1, so it could be a huge boost before they meet Depor once again on Monday.
Las Palmas has the worst defense in the league, allowing their opponents to score more than two times per game. They recorded 35 defensive actions per game, winning 42% of aerial duels, and just 33% of tackles. On the other side, they’ve created a decent number of scoring chances (82), but their finishing job is terrible. In the previous La Liga game against Villarreal, they missed too many chances in the first half, and the punishment came in the second half when Villarreal bagged four goals. Obviously, La UD is having some psychological problems, too.
The striker Loic Remy, who arrived from Chelsea this summer on a free transfer, is the team’s top scorer with three goals in four appearances, while his colleague Jonathan Calleri added two in nine apps. The 28-year old forward Jonathan Viera is the creative force with two assists and 29 key passes in nine appearances, and he’ll demand more from his teammates in the future.
The manager Paco Ayestaran will miss some important players for the next game, as the winger Oussama Tannane and the midfielder Alen Halilovic are both sidelined due to injuries.
DEPORTIVO LA CORUNA
Depor sacked Pepe Mel after the 2:1 defeat against Girona at home in the previous round of the Spanish La Liga, and the new manager will be Cristobal Parralo, who worked with Deportivo’s youth team. Pepe Mel is the fourth manager who lost the job this season, after some poor displays from the start of the La Liga campaign.
The Turks are sitting at the 16th spot of the La Liga table after the first nine rounds with eight points, a 10:18 goal difference, and a form of LDWLW. At home, they recorded two wins and three losses, while on the road they earned just two points in four games. The Romanian striker Florin Andone is leading his team with two goals and two dishes in nine appearances, while forwards Lucas Perez and Federico Cartabia both scored two times so far, but without assists on their accounts.
The new manager Cristobal Parralo will have a difficult task to recover the team, while there are no serious injury worries among the squad. The keeper Ruben Martinez (finger injury), and the winger Carles Gil (groin injury) are both sidelined for the next match. All other players are ready to go.
LAS PALMAS vs. DEPORTIVO LA CORUNA – Match Prediction
Both teams are in a poor form with huge problems at the defensive line, so I expect to see some goals on Monday, just like in their previous game on last Thursday when Las Palmas smashed Depor at Riazor, 4:1, in the first leg of the Spanish Copa del Rey round of 32.
MY PICK: Over 2.5 Goals (-118)
ESPANYOL vs. BETIS
Three-Way: 1: Espanyol +137; X: +250 Draw; 2: Betis +250
Spread -0.5: Espanyol +129; Betis -139
Total +2.5: Over -103; Under +100
ESPANYOL
Espanyol’s fans certainly expected more from their beloved club, who’s at the 13th spot of the La Liga table after the first nine rounds with 10 points, an 8:12 goal difference, and a form of DDLWD. Since the first round of the season Espanyol is in some kind of the on-off form, and the manager Quique Flores will have to do something to find the balance.
In the previous round, Espanyol drew with Real Sociedad at Anoeta, 1:1, after taking the lead in the ninth minute of the game. The rest of the match they were defending, trying to threaten the opposition on a counter, but it looked pretty inefficient, and they should be really happy with the final result. The striker Leo Baptistao bagged the only goal for Espanyol, his third of the season, and he’s now the team’s leading scorer along with another striker Gerard Moreno. The winger Pablo Piatti is underperforming so far with just one goal in eight appearances, while the midfielder Jose Manuel Jurado is still goalless, but he added two assists to his name.
Quique Flores will have to work on the attacking flow, as his team created just 65 scoring chances in nine games. For the next game, he’ll be missing Oscar Duarte, Javi Lopez, and Victor Sanchez, as all three players are sidelined due to injuries.
BETIS
The Big Greens are the pleasant surprise of the Spanish La Liga so far with 16 points out of the first nine rounds. They are sitting at the seventh spot of the table, and the fans are certainly hoping for Europa League spot at the end of the season. There is a lot of football to be played, so The Big Greens need to stay focused and to continue with attacking approach.
The 21-year old Paraguayan striker Antonio Sanabria is playing brilliantly, and he already bagged six goals in eight appearances, while his partner Sergio Leon, who arrived from Osasuna this summer, added four in seven apps this season. The experienced winger Joaquin scored three times in nine appearances, and his presence on the field looks vital for Betis. The 31-year old Mexican versatile midfielder Andres Guardado is a creative force with six dishes and 14 key passes in nine apps.
The manager Quique Setien is surely happy with his team performing at the high level, but he knows they need to work even harder to stay in a race for the Europa League next year. He doesn’t have serious injury worries, and the only guy who’s doubtful for the next game against Espanyol is the left-back Riza Durmisi (muscle injury).
ESPANYOL vs. BETIS – Match Prediction
I expect to see an open game with a lot of chances on both sides, but I’ll stay out of choosing the winner in this one. Espanyol is a pretty unpredictable team this year, and I think there’s a lot of talent on their squad. On the other side, Betis is playing a great football, and they’ll be looking for another positive result in this clash.
Maybe the safest bet is to play on both teams to score, as there is a lot of attacking potential on both sides. Espanyol is playing at home, so Leo Baptistao and Gerard Moreno can score against Betis’ defense.
MY PICK: Both Teams to Score YES (-130)
