Betis v Athletic Bilbao – La Liga Betting Preview

Ruben CastroAthletic Bilbao are in desperate need of a win in La Liga, as they are entering this match on the back of three losses in succession and have only three points separating them and the relegation zone. After an impressive first season under the reign of Marcelo Bielsa, in which they reached both the Europa League and Copa Del Rey finals, this season has been somewhat of a disappointment as they left both tournaments in shock early exits, and they don’t seem to be the same solid squad they once were.

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La Liga Betting Preview – Getafe v Sevilla

GetafeGetafe will look to turn around a run of five games without a win in La Liga when they host Sevilla this evening. The two teams are only separated by three points, and although Sevilla have won one in their last five they trail Getafe in 12th place.

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La Liga Betting Preview – Real Sociedad v Barcelona

Lionel MessiReal Sociedad host the best team in La Liga this evening as Barcelona travel to the Basque country. The Catalans will no doubt hope to extend their record-breaking league run against the San Sebastian based team after being held to a draw by Malaga at home in the Copa del Rey last week.

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La Liga Betting Preview – Getafe v Granada

Diego CastroGranada will be hoping a win at Getafe in La Liga will lift them out of the relegation zone, whilst the home side will be eager to turn around their recent run of two straight defeats.

Getafe are the favourites for a win here priced at 20/21, with Granada only winning three times away this season. However, that’s not a dire record and as a result they are not massive outsiders for the win at 3/1. Neither side have had a significant amount of draws this season so far and that outcome looks less likely priced at 12/5, but this kind of game could go any way.

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La Liga Betting Preview – Rayo Vallecano v Getafe

GetafeRayo Vallecano will be hoping for their third consecutive win when they play host to Madrid rivals Getafe in tonight’s La Liga clash. Getafe last won at home to Malaga over a month ago though and so will be eager to gain three points and leapfrog to 7th in the table.

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Madrid to reignite La Liga race

After contrasting starts to the season, Sunday sees possibly the biggest rivals in football meet as Barcelona take on Real Madrid at the Nou Camp (Match Betting – Barcelona 5/6, draw 11/4, Real Madrid 3/1).

The two sides have a long and bitter rivalry and even at this early stage of the season, victory for Barca could all but wrap-up the La Liga title. After a summer of uncertainty, the Blaugrana have started the campaign in sparkling style and are yet to be beaten at both home and abroad.

A number of questions have been asked about the team following the departure of the legendary Pep Guardiola but his assistant Tito Vilanova has stepped-up with aplomb and his side showed both their ability and unity by netting two late goals to beat Sevilla last Saturday. They followed this up with a win over Benfica on Tuesday but that result provided more questions than answers for Vilanova, as the returning Carles Puyol suffered an horrific elbow injury.

This means the Catalans are likely to rely on Javier Mascherano and Alex Song at the back and, while both have spent plenty of time in defence, they could hardly be described as naturals. The injury crisis ensures that Sergio Busquets’ (15/2 to score at anytime) performance becomes even more important as he will be the man charged with shielding the duo. Busquets is widely regarded as the best defensive midfielder in the world and his ability to break-up play and track runners will be massive on Sunday.

In contrast to their rivals, Real have had a difficult opening few months of the campaign and currently sit sixth in the table, eight points behind Barcelona. This means the visit to the Nou Camp is an almost must win game for Jose Mourinho’s men and they will go into the clash eying all three points.

Los Blancos were expected to kick-on from last season’s La Liga victory but have looked disjointed at times, with Mourinho trying a number of combinations in both defence and midfield in an attempt to find a solution. The Portuguese boss usually tries to suffocate Barca in these games and is likely to employ three defensive midfielders to counter their attacking threat.

This means Cristiano Ronaldo’s (11/10 to score at anytime) pace on the break will prove even more important and having effectively scored the goal that won the title last term against another makeshift Barcelona defence, he will fancy his chances of once again silencing the Nou Camp faithful.

Like all the games between these two sides, this has the potential for fireworks and with so much talent on display, it’s sure to be an intriguing tussle. However, with Barcelona’s current defensive issues, Madrid have the perfect man to take advantage in Ronaldo and his ability to find the net in big games could see his side through (Madrid 14/1 to win 2-1).

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Barca can gain La Liga revenge

Spain may still be basking in the glory of their stunning Euro 2012 success earlier this summer, but the new La Liga season is just around the corner. Here we look ahead to the new domestic campaign and, in particular, the title battle.

The Spanish top flight kicks off over the weekend of August 18-19 and, predictably, Real Madrid are favourites to retain their crown with totesport making them odds-on at 4/5 to be celebrating again come May.

In fact, a quick check of the outright odds reveals that it is expected to be a repeat of last term and a straight fight between Real and their great ‘El Clasico’ rivals, Barcelona (11/10 – Outright), for the top prize in 2012-13.

Jose Mourinho’s men ended up winning the league last term by nine points and got the better of Barca in the crucial April clash to make amends for their early home defeat against the Catalans. Those three points helped seal the title after a season that had ebbed and flowed but with the capital-based club usually just about holding the upper hand.

It could, of course, be very different in the coming season with Barca sure to want to reclaim their crown and prove there is life after Pep Guardiola at the Nou Camp.

New coach Tito Vilanova has inherited the star-studded squad and also has another one of Spain’s summer heroes to utilise this season after the capture of Jordi Alba from Valencia was confirmed during the European Championships. Alba has emerged as a world-class performer and will slot into left-back as first choice to plug what had become somewhat of a problem position for the Blaugrana last term.

His addition to a squad already containing Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Gerard Pique and Javier Mascherano (to name just five) is a frightening prospect for the rest of La Liga.

But that’s not all. On top of his arrival, Barca are also set to welcome back star striker David Villa, who is expected to be fully fit for the start of the season after recovering from the broken leg he suffered in December. If he stays fit, Villa could be the difference in 2012-13 and his goals could help wrestle the title back from Real’s grasp.

Mourinho and co will, obviously, have other ideas. Some fine-tuning might be undertaken by the Portuguese coach at the Bernabeu and he is looking to add Luka Modric to his midfield from Spurs. If that move comes off – and it is by no means a certainty with Manchester United also very keen – then Real will be an improved outfit for next term because the Croatia star appears born to play in Spain.

Away from the big two, and next on totesport’s outright market, come Malaga and Atletico Madrid – both priced at 50/1. But, sadly for both clubs, the best they can hope for is third and they are expected to trail the big two by a significant margin come the business end of the season. Valencia are on offer at 66/1, meanwhile, but it would surely be a wasted bet to look anywhere else other than in Barca or Real’s direction when considering who will lift the title.

The La Liga race between the two great rivals is set to be as intense as ever, then, and expect it to be closer in the final weeks than last season.

Real will not give up their crown easily but Barca, with Villa back and Alba in, should just have the edge.

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Bucharest awaits La Liga rivals

Atletico Madrid and Athletic Bilbao, two La Liga teams with near-identical coloured shirts, similar names and two of the hottest strikers in Spain, will contest what promises to be a sensational Europa League final in Bucharest on Wednesday.

A cursory look at recent meetings between these sides and barely a cigarette paper separates them, although totesport has installed Atletico as the 11/8 favourites (draw 23/10, Athletic Bilbao 2/1 – 90 Minutes) for the National Arena showpiece.

This season Athletic won the home La Liga fixture 3-0 in October but Atletico then turned the tables when consigning their rivals to a 2-1 loss at the Vicente Calderon in March.

Marcelo Bielsa’s Atheltic have accounted for the prize scalps of Manchester United, FC Schalke 04 and Sporting Lisbon to reach their first European showpiece since 1976/77 and the San Mames outfit will also contest the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona on May 25.

Arguably the highlight so far in a compelling European adventure for Los Leones was embarrassing Sir Alex Ferguson’s side over two legs with a breathtaking display of attacking football, while Spain striker Fernando Llorente’s 88th-minute goal, which sealed a 4-3 aggregate win at the expense of Sporting, raised the roof in Bilbao.

Llorente has scored seven goals in 13 Europa League appearances so far and at 11/8 to score anytime rates exceptional value to continue his hot streak.

Prolific pair Adrian Lopez (13/8) and Falcao (11/10) have wreaked havoc helping Atletico record 11 successive wins in Europe and cannot be dismissed at odds-against to help repeat the club’s triumph of 2010.

The winter arrival of coach Diego ‘El Cholo’ Simeone – a member of Atletico’s 1996 La Liga and Copa del Rey-winning squad – has transformed Los Rojiblancos and they have not lost in all competitions since a 4-1 humbling by champions Real Madrid on April 11.

Juanfran said the celebrations will run for some time on the banks of the Manzanares river if Los Colchoneros can end the season on a high.

He said: “We had to overcome a lot of obstacles to get through to this deciding match, it was something we all dreamed about. History and tradition say that Atletico should be up there fighting for trophies like these.

“We want to continue reaching landmarks so we have to win this one for ourselves and for our fans.”

A notoriously difficult fixture to call between two teams of such attacking prowess, the advice here is to stick with Llorente and Falcao to deliver.

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Is La Liga the best?

It has been a bruising week for Spain’s big two, with Real Madrid and Barcelona crashing out of the Champions League semi-finals to Bayern Munich and Chelsea respectively. But with Athletic Bilbao and Atletico Madrid setting up an all-Spanish Europa League final this week, taking some notable scalps on the way, is Spain’s top flight the strongest league in Europe?

Chelsea (7/4 to win the Champions League) turned in a heroic performance at the Nou Camp on Tuesday to secure a 3-2 aggregate win and depose the reigning European champions Barca.

Pep Guardiola’s side has been labelled one of the greatest ever sides in the modern game and were highly fancied to retain the title. But the defeat on Tuesday appeared to be a seminal moment, with Guardiola quitting his post on Friday after four years in charge. Rebuilding may now be needed in Cataluna.

The prospect of playing his old side Chelsea in the final was an enticing one for Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho, and all seemed to be going to plan when Cristiano Ronaldo’s double put them 3-2 ahead on aggregate in the early stages of the second leg at the Bernabeu on Wednesday.

However, Arjen Robben – another Chelsea old-boy – scored from the penalty spot to level a game that went all the way to penalties, with the German side progressing 3-1 on spot kicks.

The double defeat of Spain’s top two gave further ammunition to those who claim the Spanish league should not be considered the best on the continent, with the all-action Premier League often touted as the best.

The critics, while acknowledging the immense talent in both the Real and Barca squads, accuse La Liga of being too top heavy in favour of the duo. With 26 points separating them from the rest, that argument carries some weight.

However, Chelsea aside, it needs to be pointed out that both Manchester City and Manchester United failed to get out the Champions League group stages, while Arsenal lost in the first knock-out round to AC Milan, who promptly lost to Barcelona.

Then if you look at the Europa League final, where Bilbao take on Atletico Madrid, rumours of La Liga’s demise may be greatly exaggerated. Marcelo Bielsa’s Bilbao (10/11 to lift the Europa League) are a whopping 43 points behind Real Madrid in the table in sixth place.

But their run to the Europa League final in Bucharest took in a last-16 clash with Premier League Champions Manchester United.

England’s supposed best side (4/9 Premier League Outright) were completely dismantled by their Basque opponents, Fernando Llorente particularly impressive in a 5-3 aggregate victory.

Madrid, level on points with Bilbao, have reached their second Europa League final in three years, beating high-flying Valencia and Italian side Lazio – fourth in Serie A – along the way.

With England’s other Europa League representatives – Tottenham, Stoke, Fulham and Birmingham – all falling short, three at the initial group stages, La Liga can justifiably argue it has the strength in depth to compete in both domestic in European competition.

To further bang La Liga’s drum, why not look at the international odds? With reigning world and European Champions Spain 3/1 favourites to win Euro 2012, with manager-less and seemingly rudderless England priced at 9/1.

The reign of Spain may be continuing for some time yet.

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Pulsating climax in La Liga

After an intriguing weekend in La Liga there is still much to play for in a busy midweek schedule, with three key games to get stuck into – including Barcelona’s bid to close the gap at the top of the table to just a solitary point.

Concentrating on the chase for European places first, Osasuna entertain Espanyol in a match that will have a huge bearing on the top six finishers – and potentially even Champions League qualification.

Osasuna have been something of a surprise package this season and currently lie in sixth place in the table, with a recent 2-0 win over Levante keeping them very much in the top-four mix.

Los Rojillos have built their success around their home form, having lost just three times this season at the Reyno de Navarra, and they are the 6/5 favourites in the match betting, with Espanyol priced at 11/5 and the draw at 9/4.

Although it was no disgrace to lose to Real Madrid, the 5-1 scoreline looks particularly unfavourable given the league leaders’ recent form and Osasuna will go into the game on the back of a 6-0 hammering at Rayo Vallecano – their first win in four games.

Taking on Osasuna appears to be the way to go although Espanyol have struggled to pick up wins on their travels – with just three this season.

However, they have lost just one of their last six and could capitalise on Osasuna’s recent troubles to pick up at least a point to boost their own chances of European qualification.

Real Sociedad appear to have turned a corner with four points from their last two games – ending a three-match losing streak – which has given them some breathing room as they are now nine points above the relegation zone.

The Erreala have a decent record at the Anoeta, particularly given their lowly position of 15th place in the league, with just four defeats suffered in front of their own fans.

Sociedad are the favourites in the match betting at 6/5, with the draw on offer at 11/5 and Betis at 15/8, which is perhaps not surprising given their home record.

However, Betis have won five times on the road this season and, although they have also lost 10 times with no draws, only three clubs have won more on the road and look the value in the betting to beat a side two places lower in the table.

The last match of the evening sees Barcelona looking to narrow the gap at the top of the standings to just a point, with Real Madrid not in action until Wednesday.

There is certainly plenty of incentive for the Catalans to take this match seriously which is reflected in the match betting as they are 1/14 to record a 15th win out of 16 games at the Nou Camp this season, with no defeats and one draw.

It is hard to see Getafe doing the double over Barca, following a 1-0 win at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez in November, although the more fanciful punter can get 28/1 on the away win, and perhaps more realistically 10/1 on the draw.

However, that surprise success earlier this season for Getafe will merely provide further ammunition for Barca to ensure the three points on Tuesday.

Pep Guardiola’s men also have scored 90 goals this season, 60 of which have came at home, whilst they have only conceded a mere eight.

Barca’s disadvantage to Real has come about because of their away form but on home soil they have proved nigh on impossible to stop and they should pile the pressure on their arch-rivals with another win on Tuesday.

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