Some great matches wait for us in the 11th round of the Spanish La Liga, and in this preview, we would like to take a closer look at two games set for Saturday, November 4th, when Alaves meets Espanyol at Mendizorrotza Stadium, while in a true derby Barcelona hosts Sevilla at Camp Nou.
Don’t waste your time and check out our betting tips and predictions for these two clashes, like always here on GetMoreSports.
ALAVES vs. ESPANYOL
3-Way: 1: Alaves +202; X: +229 Draw; 2: Espanyol +187 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread 0: Alaves +104; Espanyol -105
Total +2: Over -106; Under +110
ALAVES
Alaves is struggling since the first game of the season, and after 10 rounds they are at the bottom of the La Liga table with three points, a 4:16 goal difference, and a form of LLLWL. Their only win came in the seventh round when they’ve beaten Levante on the road, 2:0. In the previous three rounds, Alaves has scored only once, while they’ve conceded two goals in each game, losing all three clashes against Valencia, Betis, and Real Sociedad.
Alaves’ players have created 64 scoring chances so far, and they are the worst team in the league in this category. With 4 goals scored their attack is the most inefficient in the La Liga. On the other side, their defense wasn’t so bad, recording 40 defensive actions per game, winning 45% of aerial duels and just 34% of tackles.
The 27-year old winger Ibai Gomez is one of the key players in Alaves’ squad, but he’s still without a goal or assist in eight appearances this season, and the fans are expecting more from a talented winger. The 22-year old forward Munir El Haddadi, who’s loaned from Barcelona, bagged just one goal in eight apps, adding two assists to his name. The forward Bojan Krkic, who’s playing on loan from Stoke City, is still out of form, and he was just 178 minutes on the field so far.
The manager Gianni De Biasi has a difficult task to recover his team after slump displays in recent weeks, and he’s still without the centre-back Victor Laguardia (knee injury), and the left-back Hector Hernandez (malleolar injury), while the right-back Carlos Vigaray is serving his yellow card suspension.
ESPANYOL
Espanyol got the third win of the season beating Betis at home, 1:0, in the 10th round of the Spanish La Liga. They are currently at the 10th spot of the table with 13 points, a 9:12 goal difference and a form of WDDLW, just four points behind Villarreal on the sixth place.
The White and Blues have some troubles with their attacking flow, as they created just 74 scoring opportunities, and only their next rival is worse in this category. Espanyol has two great players in the front – Gerard Moreno scored four goals in ten La Liga apps, while Leo Baptistao bagged three goals in ten games this season. However, they need a better support from the other players, especially from the 28-year old winger Pablo Piatti who scored just once in nine La Liga appearances. The midfielder Jose Manuel Jurado and Leo Baptistao are leading assistants with two dishes each so far.
Espanyol had a fine game in the previous round against Betis, but they missed some great opportunities to score more goals. The better finishing could be crucial in further rounds, and the manager Quique Sanchez Flores has to work with his guys on their attacking performance. He doesn’t have any serious injury worries, while the centre-back Oscar Duarte is the only injured player in the squad, and he’ll be sidelined for at least four months due to a cruciate ligament rupture.
ALAVES vs. ESPANYOL – Match Prediction
I really fancy this Espanyol’s team, but Alaves has to start collecting some points. They’ve lost all five games at home, so they will surely be looking for first points in front of the home fans. Additionally, I think that at least one of the two teams will not manage to score.
MY PICK: Draw (+229)
Additional Pick: Both teams to score NO (-120)
BARCELONA vs. SEVILLA
3-Way: 1: Barcelona -357; X: +772 Draw; 2: Sevilla +1300 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -2: Barcelona +100; Sevilla +106
Total +4: Over +125; Under -128
BARCELONA
Barcelona is having a great season so far topping the La Liga table after the first ten rounds with 28 points, and a 28:3 goal difference. On the other side, Barca is close to reaching the Champions League round of 16, and they need just one more point with two rounds remaining.
In the Spanish La Liga they played a draw only against Atletico Madrid on the road in the eighth round, and with just three goals conceded their defense is the best in the league. Barca’s attack is the most efficient in the La Liga, too, while they are creating 11 scoring chances per game. They made 22 assists so far, and only Valencia recorded more dishes.
Lionel Messi is leading his team with 12 goals and four assists in ten appearances, and the Argentinian master is playing magnificently from the start of the season. The 30-year old striker Luis Suarez is far away from his best form, bagging just three goals in seven appearances, and we are expecting to see more from him in the next games. The left-back Jordi Alba is another player with incredible form, as he made five dishes in eight apps this season.
The manager Ernesto Valverde has a lot of problems with injuries among the squad, and he cannot count od four players, including Ousmane Dembele and Andre Gomes. Andres Iniesta and Aleix Vidal are both doubtful for the next match, but they could be on the bench.
SEVILLA
After three defeats in a row against Athletic Bilbao, Spartak Moscow, and Valencia, The Great of Andalusia won three consecutive games in all competitions, before they meet Barcelona in a derby clash of the Spanish La Liga 11th round this Saturday. Sevilla is at the fifth place of the La Liga table after the first ten rounds with 19 points, an 11:9 goal difference and a form of WLLWL. At home, they’ve earned 13 points out of five games with a 9:2 goal difference, while on the road they’ve recorded three losses in the row after the two starting victories, with a 2:7 goal difference.
Sevilla is struggling at the offensive end, particularly when playing on the road where they’ve scored just two goals. Sevilla’s players created 83 scoring chances thus far, recording 82% of an average pass accuracy, and a 53% of shot accuracy. The strikers Wissam Ben Yedder and Luis Muriel scored two goals each, while midfielders Pablo Sarabia and Franco Vazquez made two assists each. The team is needing more from the 29-year old midfielder Ever Banega, who scored the second goal against Spartak Moscow on last Wednesday.
The manager Eduardo Berizzo is still without Daniel Carrico (muscle injury) and Nicolas Pareja (osteitis pubis), while Joaquin Correa is doubtful for the next game due to muscular problems.
BARCELONA vs. SEVILLA – Match Prediction
Barcelona won two previous games against Sevilla at Camp Nou, 3:0, and I think they will win again, but I also expect to see a great battle, like always when these two sides are taking on each other. Sevilla possesses the quality to score at Camp Nou, and I believe they will find the net against the best defense in the league.
MY PICK: Both Teams to Score YES (-137)
