The ninth round of the Spanish La Liga brings us some great matches for this weekend, and in this preview we would like to take a closer look at two games set for Saturday, October 21st, 2017, when Valencia hosts Sevilla at Mestalla in one of the derby clashes, while Barcelona gets on Malaga at Camp Nou.
Down below you will find some interesting tips and betting predictions for these two games, like always here on GetMoreSports. Hopefully, we’ll make money together.
VALENCIA vs. SEVILLA
3-Way: 1: Valencia +100; X: +300 Draw; 2: Sevilla +330
Spread -0.5: Valencia -103; Sevilla -102
Total +3: Over +102; Under -108
VALENCIA
Los Murcielagos are playing a magnificent football, having a wonderful season so far. After the first eight rounds, they are sitting at the second place of the Spanish La Liga table with 18 points, a 21:10 goal difference and a form of WWWWD. Along with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, they are still undefeated, and the fans start to think this could be their season, after some disappointing results in the last couple of years.
Valencia is the second most efficient team in the league with 21 goals scored, and only Barca bagged more in eight games. The Bats are creating a lot of scoring chances, 82 so far, and only Barca and Real Madrid are more dangerous in the final third. Valencia keeps their finishing on the highest level, and the striker Simone Zaza leads his team with seven goals in eight appearances, while Rodrigo added five goals in eight apps. In the last four games, The Bats scored 17 goals, which is a quite impressive result.
Wingers Carlos Soler and Goncalo Guedes are the creative force of Valencia’s attack with four dishes each. The full-backs Martin Montoya and Jose Gaya both have two assists, while the midfielder Dani Parejo has two dishes and 11 key passes on his account. Parejo is also the best passer with 412 completed passes and an 89% of pass accuracy.
The manager Marcelino Garcia Toral will certainly continue with the attacking approach, as team’s self-confidence is sky high after some great displays in the previous few weeks. He can count on all players for the next match, besides the centre-back Ruben Vezo, who’s sidelined with the fractured toe.
SEVILLA
After a 1:0 defeat against Athletic Bilbao in the previous round of the Spanish La Liga, Sevilla traveled to Moscow for a third-round clash of the UEFA Champions League with Spartak, and they were heavily beaten by the Russian side, 5:1. Sevilla fans are certainly angry, as their beloved club was a slight favorite in this match, but in the second half, they looked like a different team, somewhere from the Spanish second tier.
The manager Eduardo Berizzo took a blame after this defeat, but he will need more than that to boost the team’s morale. The next game is maybe even more difficult, as Valencia is playing in tremendous form. Berizzo got a new colleague in former Spanish striker Javi Guerrero, who will be the team manager and a link between the first team and the club. We’ll see how it’s going to work in the next few weeks.
Sevilla is currently at the fifth place of the Spanish La Liga table with 16 points, a 9:4 goal difference and a form of LWLWW. Their defense looked good in the first eight rounds, so they need to forget the match with Spartak as soon as possible. Offensively, there is a lot of space for improvement, and there is still no player in the squad with at least three goals scored. They created 66 scoring opportunities and the better finishing seems like an imperative.
Eduardo Berizzo will have some problems to field his best eleven against Valencia. The centre-backs Nicolas Pareja and Daniel Carrico are both still injured, while the midfielder Steven N’Zonzi is doubtful due to a sprained ankle.
VALENCIA vs. SEVILLA – Match Prediction
I expect to see an entertaining game with a lot of scoring chances on both sides. However, it could be a tight game if both teams failed to score in the first half. It is a derby match, and the stake is huge.
MY PICK: Draw (+300)
BARCELONA vs. MALAGA
3-Way: 1: Barcelona -667; X: +1677 Draw; 2: Malaga +4000
Spread -3: Barcelona -115; Malaga +112
Total +4: Over -137; Under +124
BARCELONA
Barca couldn’t keep the perfect score after they’ve played a 1:1 draw with Atletico Madrid in the eighth round of the Spanish La Liga. It was a great match, and Barca was a better team, but in the end, they should be satisfied with the final result. They are still undefeated, sitting at the top of the table with four points more than the closest rival Valencia, and five points more than Real Madrid.
Blaugrana scored 24 goals in eight games, and their attack is the most efficient in the La Liga. On the other side, their defense is the best along with Leganes’, as both teams conceded just three goals so far. Everything is going just fine for Ernesto Valverde’s team, who’s going to face Malaga on Saturday evening, and new three points look guaranteed.
Lionel Messi is having a great season so far, and he’s the leading scorer of the Spanish La Liga with 11 goals, adding two assists to his name. The Argentinian striker got his 100th goal in European competition last Wednesday against Olympiakos, proving his top class and how important he is to this Barca’s team. Luis Suarez bagged three goals in five La Liga appearances, while Denis Suarez and Paulinho added two.
Ernesto Valverde doesn’t have too many injury worries, as Rafinha and Ousmane Dembele are sidelined due to injuries, and Jordi Alba could miss the next game against Malaga because of the tear in the abductor’s muscle.
MALAGA
Malaga is arguably the worst team in the Spanish La Liga after eight rounds, and not just because they are at the bottom of the table, but also because they are playing an awful football. In the previous round they looked totally lost after conceding the first goal against Leganes, so it seems like there are huge problems with self-confidence among the squad. With one point earned and a 4:18 goal difference the things are looking pretty bad.
The manager Michel is still at the helm, but we’ll see for how long, as he’s achieving one point per game in 20 matches so far. The next game against Barca is not a place to pick up the pieces. His team just need to play better than in the previous rounds, hoping that Lionel Messi and his teammates will be tired after the midweek match with Olympiakos. There is some talent among Malaga’s squad, and they need to show it as soon as possible.
The striker Borja Baston is still unavailable due to a knee problem, and his return should be a huge boost to Malaga’s attack. The midfielder Zdravko Kuzmanovic is doubtful for the next game as he’s suffering from a muscle injury.
BARCELONA vs. MALAGA – Match Prediction
Anything but Barca’s convincing victory will be a huge upset. If Malaga’s players bring their best game, they will stand a chance to at least get a goal. However, I don’t believe they are capable to grab a draw here. After the midweek match, there will be some tired legs among the Barca’s squad, but I’m looking for more Messi’s magic, and Luis Suarez needs to improve on the scoring chart.
MY PICK: Over 4 goals (-137)
