The Spanish La Liga continues this weekend with the Round 12 matches, and in this preview, we’ll take a closer look at two games set for Saturday, November 18th, 2017, when Getafe welcomes Alaves at Coliseum Alfonso Perez, while Leganes welcomes Barcelona at Estadio Municipal de Butarque.
Don’t waste your time and check out our betting picks and predictions, like always here on GetMoreSports.
GETAFE vs. ALAVES
3-Way: 1: Getafe -109; X: +280 Draw; 2: Alaves +430 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -0.5: Getafe -116; Alaves +112
Total +2: Over -125; Under +120
GETAFE
The Deep Blues have earned another draw on the road against Betis in the previous round of the La Liga, their fourth of the season away from home. Getafe had a two-goal lead at the halftime after some deadly finishing from Markel Bergara and Francisco Portillo, who joined the club from Betis this summer. However, they couldn’t retain the lead and they allowed Betis’ players to level the game in the second half.
After the first eleven games of the Spanish La Liga, Getafe is sitting at the 12th spot of the table with 13 points, a 15:13 goal difference and a form of DWDLL. The 30-year old striker Angel Rodriguez is leading his team with four goals in seven appearances, while the 35-year old experienced striker Jorge Molina is still one of the team’s best players with three goals and one assist in ten apps. The 29-year old attacking midfielder Faycal Fajr is the top assistant with two dishes in ten games so far, but he was pretty quiet in the last couple of weeks.
The manager Jose Bordalas can be satisfied with team’s results thus far, and for the next match, he will miss Dani Pacheco (shoulder injury), Jefferson Montero (calf injury), and Gaku Shibasaki (foot injury).
ALAVES
Deportivo Alaves got the first home victory, their second of the season, beating Espanyol, 1:0, in the previous round of the Spanish La Liga. After the first eleven games, Alaves is laying at the 18th spot of the La Liga table with six points, a 5:16 goal difference and a 2-0-9 record. They have played poorly since the start of the season, and this first home victory could a huge boost before they continue the battle against relegation.
The Glorious One created just 74 scoring chances in eleven matches along with 75% of an average pass accuracy, while three out of their five goals came after set pieces. On the other side, Alaves’ players recorded 41 defensive actions per game, winning 44% of aerial duels, and just 33% of tackles. There is no player in the Alaves’ squad with at least two goals on the account, while five different players were finding the net so far. The 22-year old winger Munir El Haddadi, who’s loaned from Barcelona, is a team’s leading assistant with two dishes in nine appearances this season.
The manager Gianni De Biasi prefers a patient and defensive tactical approach, and it paid off in the previous game versus Espanyol. For the next match, he’ll be missing a centre-back Victor Laguardia (knee injury), and the left-back Hector Hernandez (malleolar injury), while all other players are healthy and ready to go.
GETAFE vs. ALAVES – Match Prediction
Even Getafe recorded four draws on the road, they still didn’t draw in front of the home fans. On the other side, Alaves is playing patiently, so I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a leveled match. Likewise, I don’t expect to see a lot of goals in this one, so there is a high possibility that at least one team will not score.
MY PICK: Draw (+280)
ADDITIONAL PICK: Both teams to score NO (-127)
LEGANES vs. BARCELONA
3-Way: 1: Leganes +1075; X: +500 Draw; 2: Barcelona -250 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread +1.5: Leganes +100; Barcelona -103
Total +3: Over +112; Under -118
LEGANES
In the 11th round of the La Liga Leganes recorded the second defeat in a row, this time against Valencia on the road, 3:0, and The Legionaries are now in the ninth spot of the Spanish La Liga table with 17 points, a 9:8 goal difference, and a 5-2-4 record. At home, they earned eight points out of five matches with a 3:2 goal difference and a 2-2-1 record, while on the road they grabbed three wins and suffered three losses with a 6:6 goal difference.
The 29-year old winger Alexander Szymanowski is arguably Leganes’ best player this season with two goals and two assists on his account, and Szymanowski is constantly the main threat for opponent’s defenders. The 29-year old striker Claudio Beauvue, who’s loaned from Celta Vigo, bagged two goals in nine appearances, and the fans expect to see more from him in the upcoming games. The 27-year old attacking midfielder Javi Eraso, who joined the club from Athletic Bilbao this summer, is another key player in Leganes’ squad, and he added one goal and one assist to his name in ten games this season.
The manager Asier Garitano will have to regroup his boys after the second consecutive defeat, and for the next game against Barca, he cannot count on the right winger Omar (hamstring injury), and a goalkeeper Jon Ander Serantes (shoulder injury).
BARCELONA
Since a 1:1 draw with Atletico Madrid on the road in the eighth round of the Spanish La Liga, Barca won three consecutive matches, including a 2:1 victory over Sevilla at home in the previous round. Barca is topping the La Liga table after the first 11 games with 31 points, a 30:4 goal difference and a tremendous 10-1-0 record.
The Argentinian star Lionel Messi is simply unstoppable this season, and he’s already scored 12 goals in 11 La Liga appearances, also adding four dishes to his name. He’s a true leader on the pitch, and it seems like there’s no way he can be tamed. The 28-year old left-back Jordi Alba is another key player in Barca’s squad, and he’s a team’s leading assistant with five dishes in nine appearances. The Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez is still out of his best form, and the fans could be satisfied that his poor performance doesn’t affect team’s overall display. Luis Suarez scored three goals in eight La Liga games this season, but he’s struggling to perform at the highest level.
The manager Ernesto Valverde is surely satisfied with team’s results, especially with all injury problems he had from the start of the season. For the next match against Leganes, he’ll be without Ousmane Dembele (thigh muscle rupture), Sergi Roberto (hamstring injury), Javier Mascherano (muscle injury), Andre Gomes (hamstring injury), Rafinha (meniscus injury), and Aleix Vidal (sprained ankle).
LEGANES vs. BARCELONA – Match Prediction
Leganes showed some excellent defensive displays thus far, but they conceded five goals in the previous two games, so it seems like their form is descending. On the other side, Barca has a lot of injury problems, so we’ll see who will play against Leganes, and who will rest for the match against Juventus next midweek. I expect to see a tough battle, and Barca’s victory at the end, hopefully by a bigger margin.
MY PICK: Barcelona AH +1.5 (-103)
