The Spanish La Liga continues this weekend with some quite interesting games of the eight round. Two derby clashes are set for Saturday, October 14th, when Athletic Bilbao hosts Sevilla at San Mames, while Getafe welcomes Real Madrid at Coliseum Alfonso Perez.
In this preview, we would like to take a closer look at these four teams, in order to give you the best tips and betting predictions, as we always do here on GetMoreSports. So, let’s start with the first game.
ATHLETIC BILBAO vs. SEVILLA
3-Way: 1: Athletic Bilbao +168; X: +250 Draw; 2: Sevilla +204
Spread 0: Athletic Bilbao -122; Sevilla +117
Total +2.5: Over -104; Under +100
ATHLETIC BILBAO
Los Leones are having a hard time at the start of the season, as they are dropping points in the Spanish La Liga and the UEFA Europa League. In the last six games in these competitions, Athletic Bilbao couldn’t get a win with a form of LLDLLD. They are playing poorly in the last couple of weeks, so the manager Jose Angel Ziganda will have a hard task to revitalize his team.
Athletic Bilbao is currently at the 13th spot of the Spanish La Liga table with eight points out of the first seven rounds, and a 9:9 goal difference. In previous four games they managed to get a single point, playing a furious 3:3 draw with Malaga, while they’ve lost against Atletico Madrid at home, 2:1, and Valencia and Las Palmas away (3:2 and 1:0).
Meanwhile, Los Leones were beaten by Zorya Luhansk in the second round of the Europa League at home, 1:0, after a starting goalless draw with Hertha Berlin. Obviously, they have to regroup and start playing a better football as soon as possible, or they will be in all kind of troubles.
Jose Angel Ziganda can count on all players, besides Iker Muniain, who will be unavailable for at least six months due to a cruciate ligament rupture. Muniain is a key player for Ziganda’s team, and his absence will surely make the situation even more difficult. Another important player, Oscar de Marcos, could be back in the squad after he missed nine games due to a sprained ankle.
SEVILLA
The Great of Andalusia is having a great season so far, sitting at the second spot of the Spanish La Liga table after seven rounds with 16 points, a 9:3 goal difference and a form of WLWWW. The only loss came against Atletico Madrid at Wanda Metropolitano, 2:0, in the sixth round. Sevilla won the previous La Liga match, beating Malaga at home, 2:0, and they will be looking to continue with good results at San Mames on this Saturday.
In the UEFA Champions League Sevilla has four points out of the first two rounds. After a 2:2 draw at Liverpool, they’ve smashed Slovenian side Maribor at home, 3:0. Sevilla is slowly building up the form, as they conceded just two goals in the previous five games. Improvement at the defensive end should be crucial on their road to success. The 22-year old centre-back Clement Lenglet is looking good on the pitch, as the youngster started six times, showing excellent performances.
Offensively, they are doing a great job with nine goals in the La Liga so far, out of 55 created chances. Pablo Sarabia is a creative force with seven key passes and one assist, while Ganso and Luis Muriel are leading scorers with two goals each. Jesus Navas is playing very well recently, and Sevilla’s fans are still waiting for Nolito to show his qualities.
Sevilla’s manager Eduardo Berizzo is doing a great job, and it seems like players are starting to do what he expects from them. He can count on all key players, while defenders Daniel Carrico and Nicolas Pareja are doubtful due to injuries.
ATHLETIC BILBAO vs. SEVILLA – Match Prediction
Even Athletic Bilbao is in a bad form, I think they have a chance to win this “hard to predict it” match. I expect to see a great battle in the midfield, and a tight game. I will also pass to chose the winner, as maybe this one looks like a possible draw.
Although I’m looking for a tight clash, this game could be interesting for those who like to play on goals. Sevilla didn’t play a game in the La Liga where both teams managed to score since the opening match against Espanyol, 1:1. Maybe it is time for another game with goals in both nets.
MY PICK: Both teams to score YES (-130)
GETAFE vs. REAL MADRID
3-Way: 1: Getafe +1150; X: +550 Draw; 2: Real Madrid -286
Spread +1.5: Getafe +117; Real Madrid -118
Total +3.5: Over +112; Under -120
GETAFE
The demolition job against Villarreal in the sixth round of the Spanish La Liga brought smiles at Coliseum Alfonso Perez, but just a week later Getafe lost from Deportivo La Coruna at Riazor, 2:1, just as a reminder of their season goals and a quick return to reality.
The Deep Blues are laying at the 12th spot of the La Liga table with eight points, a 9:7 goal difference, and a form of LWDLW. They are playing pretty unpredictably, as they didn’t finish two games in a row with the same final outcome. At home, Getafe lost first two encounters against Sevilla and Barcelona, but then they’ve hammered Villarreal, 4:0. On the road, they’ve recorded one win, two draws and a defeat in the seventh round at Riazor.
The striker Angel Rodriguez is leading his team with three goals so far (all three scored from inside the six-yard box), while the midfielder Fajcal Fajr is having a great season with two assists and 14 key passes. The entire team managed to create 64 scoring chances, but their passing game is in fact quite poor. With just 65% of average pass accuracy Getafe is the worst team in the La Liga.
The manager Jose Bordalas is having some injury worries, as five guys are struggling to stay fit. Wingers Jefferson Montero, Karim Yoda, and Dani Pacheco are still out, while a midfielder Gaku Shibasaki is suffering from a foot injury.
REAL MADRID
Los Blancos finally won a home game in the Spanish La Liga, beating Espanyol, 2:0, in the previous round. On the road, they are perfect, as they’ve beaten Alaves, Real Sociedad, and Deportivo La Coruna, recording an 8:2 goal difference. The defending champion is currently at the fifth spot with seven points less than a leader Barcelona, who have won all seven games from the start.
Real Madrid is having some problems in the final third, scoring just 13 goals so far in the Spanish La Liga, and even Betis bagged more goals in the first seven rounds. On the other side, Real Madrid’s defense is so fragile, it looks like they will concede in every single game this season. They kept the clean sheet against Espanyol, which is pretty encouraging.
The youngster Marco Asensio is leading his team with two goals and two assists on his account, while everyone’s waiting for Cristiano Ronaldo to start bagging on a regular basis. Isco is another key player who scored two goals, while he’s having one assist and 16 key passes so far.
The manager Zinedine Zidane is having huge problems with injuries among the squad, so we’ll see who’s going to start against Getafe on Saturday. Daniel Carvajal, Gareth Bale, Marcelo, Theo Hernandez, Mateo Kovacic and Toni Kroos are all suffering from different injuries, and they are doubtful for the next game.
GETAFE vs. REAL MADRID – Match Prediction
Los Blancos are huge favorites in this clash, and they cannot drop any more points if they want to stay in the title race with Barcelona. For those who like safe bets, it could be a nice choice. Getafe is an unpredictable team, and they surely can score against Real’s defense, but I’m expecting to see a visitor’s convincing victory with the bigger margin, especially if Cristiano Ronaldo find the rhythm.
MY PICK: Real Madrid AH -1.5 (-118)
