Some great games are waiting for us this weekend, as the Spanish La Liga goes on with the 11th round matches. In this preview, we’ll take a closer look at two encounters set for Sunday, November 5th, 2017, when Levante hosts Girona at Estadi Ciutat de Valencia, while Celta Vigo welcomes Athletic Bilbao at Balaidos.
Don’t waste your time and check out our betting picks and predictions for these two games, like always here on GetMoreSports.
LEVANTE vs. GIRONA
3-Way: 1: Levante +160; X: +240 Draw; 2: Girona +218 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread 0: Levante -128; Girona +129
Total +2.5: Over +120; Under -125
LEVANTE
The Frogs didn’t win in the Spanish La Liga for five games in a row, and after two defeats against Betis, 4:0, and Alaves, 2:0, they recorded three consecutive draws with Espanyol, Getafe, and Eibar. In the previous round, Levante had the two-goal lead at Eibar after the first half, allowing the home team to easily level the game in the second half. Meanwhile, The Frogs won the first leg of the Spanish Copa del Rey Round of 32 against Girona on the road, 2:0.
After the first ten rounds of the Spanish La Liga Levante is sitting at the 12th spot with 12 points, an 11:13 goal difference and a 2-6-2 record. At home, they’ve collected nine points with a 2-3-1 record and an 8:6 goal difference, while on the road they’ve earned three points with a 0-3-1 record and a 3:7 goal difference. The 22-year old Macedonian midfielder Enis Bardhi, who arrived this summer from Hungarian side Ujpest, is having a great season so far, bagging four goals in nine appearances. The 30-year old winger Jose Luis Morales also has four goals on the account, and he’s a club’s top assistant with two dishes in eight matches this season. Morales had a tremendous game against Eibar last week when he scored the first goal and made an assist for Levante’s second goal of the match.
The manager Juan Muniz is still without some important players due to injuries. The striker Roger Marti (ruptured cruciate ligament) will be out for at least three months, while the right-back Ivan Lopez is sidelined with the same injury. The winger Jason is suffering from a hamstring injury, and he’ll probably miss the next game.
GIRONA
If you had a chance to watch Girona’s last match against Real Madrid at home, then you’re certainly surprised how good these guys played against one of the best teams in the world. The White and Reds have beaten Los Blancos in front of the home fans, 2:1, but what’s more important, they were a better team! After the first 45 minutes they were a goal down, even they had a couple of great chances to find the net. In the second half, Girona played magnificently at both ends of the field, creating some excellent opportunities in front of the Real Madrid’s keeper, and scoring two goals, just enough to secure a huge victory.
Girona is currently at the 13th place of the La Liga table after the first ten rounds with 12 points, an 11:15 goal difference, and a form of WWLDL. At home, The White and Reds have earned seven points out of six games with a 6:9 goal difference, while on the road they’ve grabbed five points in four encounters with a 5:6 goal difference. Their only victory away from home came in the ninth round when they’ve beaten Deportivo La Coruna, 2:1.
The 31-year old striker Cristhian Stuani is leading the team with five goals in eight appearances, while the 25-year old attacking midfielder Portu bagged three goals in ten apps this season. These two guys both scored against Real Madrid last week. The 24-year old forward Olarenwaju Kayode, who’s loaned from Manchester City, is the top assistant with two dishes in ten appearances, and Girona’s fans expect to see more from him.
The manager Pablo Machin doesn’t have any serious injury worries, so he can field his best eleven against Levante. The centre-back Pedro Alcala is the only doubtful player for the next match due to an ankle injury.
LEVANTE vs. GIRONA – Match Prediction
Levante needs a win at home after five games in a row without a victory, and I expect to see them attacking from the start. On the other side, Girona won two consecutive games, and it is going to be interesting how they’ll cope with expectations after a glorious victory against Los Blancos. I think we’ll see a tight match, where one goal can make a difference, so I’ll go with the under in this one.
MY PICK: Under 2.5 Goals (-125)
CELTA VIGO vs. ATHLETIC BILBAO
3-Way: 1: Celta Vigo +120; X: +256 Draw; 2: Athletic Bilbao +282 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -0.5: Celta Vigo +114; Athletic Bilbao -120
Total +2.5: Over +102; Under -106
CELTA VIGO
The Sky Blues were beaten for the second time in the row in the Spanish La Liga, losing 2:1 to Malaga on the road in the 10th round. They were outplayed by the worst team in the league, allowing Malaga to get the first win of the season. After the first ten games, Celta Vigo is sitting at the 14th spot of the La Liga table with 11 points, a 19:16 goal difference and a form of LLWDW. At home, The Sky Blues are struggling to win games, earning just five points out of five matches at Balaidos. On the road, they’ve collected six points with a 2-0-3 record.
Celta Vigo’s players created 95 scoring chances so far, scoring 19 goals and making 15 assists, while just five goals came after set pieces. They recorded 83% of the average pass accuracy, and they had a ball on their feet for 56% of the time per game. Celta’s attacking play is pretty good from the start of the season, while the main problems are on the other side of the pitch. They recorded just 30 defensive actions per game, winning 51% of aerial duels, and just 38% of tackles.
The 21-year old striker Maximiliano Gomez is still the club’s leading scorer with six goals in nine appearances, but he couldn’t find the net in the previous two matches. The 22-year old winger Pione Sisto is enjoying a great season, adding two goals and seven dishes in ten appearances. The 30-year old forward Iago Aspas scored the only goal against Malaga, his fourth of the season in ten apps.
The manager Juan Carlos Unzue cannot be satisfied with team’s recent form, and we can expect some changes in the starting eleven. He’s still without the centre-back Facundo Roncaglia (hamstring injury), while the keeper Ruben Blanco (hip injury) could also miss the next game.
ATHLETIC BILBAO
The Lions had a great game against Barcelona at San Mames in the previous round of the Spanish La Liga, even they were beaten in the end, 2:0. For 90 minutes they were causing problems to Barca’s defense, creating 11 scoring chances and taking 17 shots on goal. However, they couldn’t find the net, mostly because of Barca’s goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, who was tremendous between the sticks. Meanwhile, Athletic Bilbao grabbed the victory at home over Swedish side Ostersunds, 1:0, in the fourth round of the Europa League group stage on last Thursday.
After the first ten rounds of the Spanish La Liga, The Lions are laying at the 15th spot with 11 points, a 10:12 goal difference, and a form of LLWLD. They created 87 scoring chances, recording 78% of an average pass accuracy. The experienced striker Aritz Aduriz is leading his team with four goals in ten appearances, but he missed some great scoring opportunities against Barca last weekend. The 23-year old winger Inaki Williams is far away from the top form, adding two goals and three dishes to his name in ten apps this season.
The manager Jose Angel Ziganda will miss some key players, as Iker Muniain and Oscar de Marcos are suffering from injuries, while Benat Etxebarria is still doubtful for the next game, but he could be on the bench.
CELTA VIGO vs. ATHLETIC BILBAO – Match Prediction
The Lions didn’t score in the last two La Liga games, so I expect to see them finding the net against fragile Celta’s defense. Both teams will try to avoid the third defeat in a row, so I’m not going to pick the winner in this one.
MY PICK: Both Teams to Score YES (-120)
