The Spanish La Liga continues this weekend with the 11th round matches, and in this preview, we’ll take a closer look at two exciting games set for Saturday, November 4th, 2017, when Valencia hosts Leganes at Mestalla, while Deportivo La Coruna welcomes Atletico Madrid at Riazor.
Down below you will find some interesting tips about these two clashes, along with our betting predictions, like we always do here on GetMoreSports.
VALENCIA vs. LEGANES
3-Way: 1: Valencia -156; X: +350 Draw; 2: Leganes +640 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -1: Valencia -109; Leganes +106
Total +2.5: Over -105; Under +120
VALENCIA
The Bats recorded their sixth consecutive win in the 10th round of the Spanish La Liga, beating Alaves on the road, 2:1, and showing they are serious candidates to finish the season in top four. Once again Valencia was the better rival, even they allowed Alaves 16 shots on goal. The Bats took just seven shots on Alaves’goal, two of them on target, just enough to score two goals and take an important three points away from home.
After the first ten rounds of the Spanish La Liga, Valencia is sitting at the second place of the table with 24 points and a 27:11 goal difference. The Bats are four points behind the leader Barcelona, and four points ahead of Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. They are still undefeated, and when we look at their team play, this trend can continue for some time.
Valencia’s players created 105 scoring chances so far with a deadly 56% of shot accuracy, while just five goals came after set pieces. The 26-year old striker Simone Zaza is playing in a magnificent form from the start of the season, scoring nine goals in ten appearances. His strength and stamina are too much for opponents, while his colleague Rodrigo is also playing on a high level, adding six goals and four dishes to his name in ten appearances. The 20-year old winger Goncalo Guedes, who’s loaned from Paris SG, has three goals and five assists on his account, making some great displays in the last couple of weeks.
The manager Marcelino Garcia Toral is surely happy with his team, but he needs to find the way to maintain their form. He doesn’t have any injury worries, as all players are healthy and ready to go, so he can pick up his best eleven for the game with Leganes.
LEGANES
Leganes kept the clean sheet for five games in the row before they were beaten by Sevilla on the road, 2:1, in the previous round of the Spanish La Liga. Their results are way above the expectations, and after the first 10 rounds, Leganes is at the seventh place of the table with 17 points, a 9:5 goal difference and a form of LWWDW. They were so close to getting a point on Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, but Pablo Sarabia’s rocket was way too much for Leganes’ keeper.
The Legionaries still have the second-best defense in the Spanish La Liga. They’ve conceded just five goals in ten games, and only Barca has a better defense. The team is averaging 40 defensive actions per game, winning 48% of aerial duels, and 39% of tackles. Offensively, they have some problems, and with 69% of an average pass accuracy, they are the second-worst team in the league. Creativity is also an issue, as they’ve made just 77 scoring opportunities so far.
The 29-year old Argentinian winger Alexander Szymanowski is arguably Leganes’ best player after the first ten rounds. On eight appearances Szymanowski added two goals, two assists and 13 key passes to his name, causing some serious problems to the opposition defenders. The striker Claudio Beauvue, who’s playing on loan from Celta Vigo, also bagged two goals in eight La Liga apps, showing he’s going to be a nice addition to the team.
The manager Asier Garitano wasn’t disappointed after the defeat against Sevilla, but he has to prepare his team for another heavy opposition, as Valencia is playing terrific football so far. Garitano will be without Ruben Perez, as the 28-year old midfielder has to serve the yellow card suspension. The keeper Jon Ander Serantes is still sidelined due to a shoulder injury.
VALENCIA vs. LEGANES – Match Prediction
Valencia’s string of positive results will eventually come to an end. However, I think it will last for a while, so I’ll expect The Bats to win this one as well. Leganes showed some remarkable defensive work in the previous rounds, and it is going to be interesting how they will cope with Valencia’s attack. My pick for this game will be the over.
MY PICK: Over 2.5 goals (-105)
DEPORTIVO LA CORUNA vs. ATLETICO MADRID
3-Way: 1: Deportivo La Coruna +450; X: +290 Draw; 2: Atletico Madrid -122 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread +0.5: Deportivo La Coruna +120; Atletico Madrid -123
Total +2.5: Over +112; Under -118
DEPORTIVO LA CORUNA
Depor finally puts on a good performance in the previous round of the Spanish La Liga, when they’ve beaten Las Palmas on the road, 3:1, just a few days after they’ve lost to the same rival in the first leg of the Spanish Copa del Rey round of 32. Even La UD took the lead in the seventh minute of the game, Deportivo’s players continued with the patient approach which paid off later in the match. The 29-year old central midfielder Celso Borges scored a brace for a complete upheaval, and the forward Lucas Perez converted the penalty kick in the 69th minute for a convincing victory.
After the first ten rounds, Deportivo La Coruna is laying at the 16th place of the Spanish La Liga table with 11 points, a 13:19 goal difference and a form of WLDWL. They sacked Pepe Mel two weeks ago, and the new manager Cristobal Parralo, who worked with Deportivo’s youth team, will have a difficult task to survive in the La Liga. His team is playing pretty good at the offensive end, while there are a lot of problems at the defensive line. Depor conceded seven goals just in the previous three matches in all competitions.
Cristobal Parralo is still without the experienced keeper Ruben Martinez who’s suffering from a finger injury, while the 24-year old winger Carles Gil is sidelined due to a groin injury. All other players are ready for the next game.
ATLETICO MADRID
Atleti disappointed their fans once more after a 1:1 draw at home with the Azerbaijan side Qarabag in the fourth round of the UEFA Champions League group stage. They are now in dire straits with just three points out of the four matches, and they will probably finish at the third place of the Group C table. Atleti took 32 shots against the 10-man Qarabag, but it wasn’t enough to secure the win. It was a huge upset, and now they need to bounce back in the domestic league.
After the first ten rounds of the Spanish La Liga Atletico Madrid is sitting at the fourth spot of the table with 20 points, a 15:6 goal difference and a form of DWDDW. They drew four times in their previous five games in all competitions, grabbing a win only against Celta Vigo in the ninth round of the La Liga. They’ve scored just four goals in those five encounters, proving there are serious problems in their attacking flow. The French star Antoine Griezmann bagged only two times in eight La Liga appearances, while the striker Luciano Vietto is still goalless after six apps. The 22-year old winger Angel Correa is leading his team with four goals and one assist in ten appearances.
The manager Diego Simeone will have to find a way to recover his boys after some unconvincing displays, and the match with Deportivo is a great opportunity. The Argentinian tactician has some injury worries, as the 25-year old midfielder Koke (hamstring injury) and the 24-year old winger Yannick Carrasco (knee injury) are both doubtful for the match at Riazor.
DEPORTIVO LA CORUNA vs. ATLETICO MADRID – Match Prediction
Atleti needs a win to stay in a race with Barca, but they need to forget Qarabag as soon as possible. Depor will try to exploit Atletico Madrid’s poor form, and I expect to see them scoring in front of the home fans. However, it seems like a safe bet to put your money on visitors here.
MY PICK: Both Teams to Score YES (+104)
