• Villarreal 15/4, Real Madrid 4/6, Draw 3/1 – Bet here: Desktop | Mobile

Villarreal wins over Real Madrid come along about as often as a Scottish Independence referendum so it’s very tempting just to vote ‘No!’ here without listening to the debate.
The last time that fabled event took place Manchester City wasn’t even a gleam in Manuel Pellegrini’s eye and Real Madrid still heaped faith and optimism in Lassana Diarra and Royston Drenthe – whatever happened…… Never mind.

It was May 2009, just the second such triumph in their history and only three players from that night, Casillas, Bruno and Cani, can repeat this weekend. Each of them holds the potential to be a major participant.

Carlo Ancelotti (below), right now, is forcing all of us who pay attention to Spanish football to mimic him, in raising our left eyebrows like caterpillars ascending Alpe D’Huez for the Geometrid King of the Mountain’s title. Just over a week ago this most affable of Italian football godfathers began to snap and snarl at people who asked him about the goalkeeping situation. ‘No debate, I’m not getting into all that – Iker is the first team keeper and we won’t be rotating like last season’. Two games later he rotate the keepers.

Or… did he?

With Madrid’s home fans split down the middle over whether to chant in support of San Iker [Saint Iker] or whistle and jeer him, Casillas was left out against Elche. Rotated? Dropped? Keylor came in, did fine but basically had no work. Now Ancelotti says that he will not be playing one keeper in the Bernabeu and another in away matches but will not, either, confirm which of the two will be in the starting XI against Villarreal. [Iker I reckon]

So, what the hell is he up to?

As for Bruno he’s one of the most hard-working, agile and smart midfielders without a high profile in Spanish football. A local boy, he’s someone who could take advantage of the fact that while Toni Kroos is now the ‘organising midfielder’ he does have a tendency to go walkabout.

Then there’s Cani. Rested for Villarreal’s last game, 1-1 at Eibar, he has the aggression, height, know-how and ambition to produce something special on the big occasion, just as he did a year ago on Gareth Bale’s debut, here, in a 2-2 result which ultimately helped cost Madrid the title.

But, don’t ignore the obvious. Ronaldo (below) loves scoring at Villarreal – five in his last four visits – and he’s also hit seven in his last two Liga matches (4/9 to score anytime). The Submarine have three draws a defeat and a comeback win having trailed 0-2 at home to struggling Rayo to show for the weeks after shining in the Europa League qualifying. Imposing themselves and winning is costing them the world at the moment.

Gio Dos Santos is near to return, 20 year old ‘Lucky’ Luciano Vietto scored twice last week to open his account and Uche is working like a dog to supercede his injuries….. but it’ll take a strange twist of events if Madrid don’t add to their wee run of victories, even if at a reduced margin. Ronaldo (4/9 anytime) and Bale (10/11 anytime) to score and see them through.

Barcelona [1st] v Granada [8th] – Saturday 5pm

• Barcelona 1/8, Granada 20/1, Draw 7/1 – Bet here: Desktop | Mobile

Football is rock n roll, football grabs the senses, puts them in a high rev spin and returns them to you at the end of 90 minutes – football is a Ryder Cup-high every weekend. Football is king of sports. So let me make your adrenalin soar and your pulse rate rip through the Stock Aitken and Waterman hi-energy beats per minute.

Barcelona and Granada had 67% and 59% of possession in their midweek games … and neither team even managed one paltry effort on target. ‘Football, bloody hell’ [© SAF] Barcelona regularly struggle to beat Granada by more than a single goal and they lost to them last season [1-0] in a match where they bombarded the penalty area but could have been there until August without scoring.

More, Barça’s Messi-dependency has grown over the last year and a bit.

If he’s on form, either as an assist-giver or scorer, Barcelona will beat most sides and become trophy contenders. If not, and he once again looked sluggish and tired in midweek even before Malága defender Weligton proved that not only can his parents not spell, he can’t read the rules of football [Clue: it’s NOT WWF] they huff and puff.

Does this paint as a possible banana-skin game for the home side?

Granada don’t concede much, they beat the Catalans last season, they’ve a healthy eight point total already and their coach, Joaquín Caparrós is one savvy dude with a wealth of La Liga know-how. Luis Enrique says: ‘I expect a complicated rival. ‘They are very strong defensively. ‘They work hard, they are smart at set pieces and they counter-attack well. ‘This’ll be the same as almost all our games this season’

Mebbe so. I’ve got a slightly different view. Granada not only were beaten at home in midweek [Levante] they were battered the previous game when winning in Bilbao on a day when they could and should have conceded about five. Barcelona were strangled all over the pitch by a super-industrious Malága midweek – it was one of those which looked like 14 men playing 11.

But the first thing which Caparrós targeted in criticising his team’s midweek slump was their intensity. Their work rate, their concentration but above all their intensity.

If they repeat that and fail to learn from Malága’s excellence – they’ll be beaten. In Jhon Córdoba (5/1 anytime) and El Arabi (9/2 anytime), Granada have two big, quick strikers capable of running beyond Barcelona’s extremely high defensive line – can Bravo keep his goal secure [none conceded in the league thus far] and head towards a record? He’s 8/13 to keep a clean sheet.

Andrés Iniesta (above) hasn’t shone yet and needs to – this is just the type of game in which he might open his account (2/1 anytime) but Ivan Rakitic, who’ll take some of the free kicks and who’s not scared of a shot from distance, might add to the one he scored last week at Levante (2/1 anytime).

Sandro (10/11 anytime), if he gets more game time, looks a little sharper in front of goal than Munir (4/5 anytime) right now which is worth noting.

Atlético [3rd] v Sevilla [1st] – Saturday 7pm

• Atletico 8/11, Sevilla 15/4, Draw 11/4 – Bet here: Desktop | Mobile

Recently this has been a game where the Spanish league has, politely, asked all participants and management to check their holsters, knuckle-dusters, coshes and tasers in with the security guards at a desk outside each dressing room. To merely brand it ill-tempered would be like saying that the Clanton and Earp brothers didn’t turn out to be socially compatible and that the Campbell’s weren’t great neighbours to Clan MacDonald.

The last six games between the sides have been Football at the OK Corral. They’ve produced 37 bookings, nine red cards [six of which have been straight reds] and five penalties. Very nearly a card of one colour or other every eleven minutes. All bar one of the games have been under the control of Diego Simeone (below) and Unai Emery.

But a couple of the game’s bad boys have moved on – Medel, Diego Costa, Filipe Luis for example. More, when this weekend’s ref, Snr Gonzalez Gonzalez was last in charge of the fixture it was like the Peace Games and white doves were released over the stadium at the end.Right in the middle of this run of undisguised ill-feeling he managed to see the 90 minutes through with only six bookings – ie no reds, no penalties. Can this ref keep things calm again?

Rumours that he put bromide in the players’ tea pre-match are quite unconfirmed.

So, this weekend. Sevilla are joint top, two points ahead of Los Colchoneros and Simeone’s side have looked irregular in draws with Celta and Rayo plus that Champions League defeat in Athens. But beware. Over these six back-alley skirmishes there have been 18 goals only five of which were scored by Sevilla who’ve managed no better than two draws and four defeats.

Carlos Bacca has been Sevilla’s touchstone for big goals this season [and last] but he didn’t score in either meeting with Atleti last term and was subbed off both times. Is he ready for this intensity this time? Is the slight slackness which Atletico are showing [they went behind against Celta at home last week and then gifted a really stupid penalty for the equalizer] the sniff of an opportunity which the Colombian requires? He’s 12/5 to score anytime if so.

Atletico are still scoring almost all their goals from set plays [six out of seven in the league], the majority headers, so it’s still worth thinking about Raul Garcia (above, 9/4 anytime), Miranda (9/1 anytime) and Diego Godín (8/1 anytime) while for Sevilla, Stephane Mbia (11/1 anytime) just loves a big goal when he arrives late in the box.

Two significant returns. Diego Simeone’s back on the touchline after his ban … will that quieten down the feud or ratchet it up? and Mario ‘Don’t call me the Phantom of the Opera’ Mandzukic is available again thanks to his 65 gram carbon fibre mask to protect his badly fractured nose.

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Manuel Pellegrini’s Costa del Sol outfit sit in third spot in the table after jumping above Valencia courtesy of the weekend’s 3-0 mauling of Racing Santander and travel to El Madrigal looking to secure another three points which will ensure Villarreal remain just outside the relegation places in 17th place.

Malaga have hit a decent run of form at the right time with six wins in their last nine games, while they have been boosted by the news Julio Baptista could return from a long-term foot injury before the end of the season.

Influential midfielder Jeremy Toulalan and goalkeeper Willy Caballero will both miss the run-in, but Spain international Joaquin Sanchez could figure against Villarreal on Thursday after a two-game injury absence.

Playmaker Santi Cazorla is also aiming to help Malaga defeat the club he left last summer in a 20million euros deal, but expects a tough encounter against his former team-mates.

“It will be a very difficult game, not only because they have a great team but because they are in a delicate situation and need the points,” he said.

Villarreal, who finished in fourth spot last season, have endured a disappointing campaign and are in a poor run of form with just one win in their last nine, so will have their work cut out.

Despite that, Yellow Submarine coach Miguel Angel Lotina feels Malaga ‘are a nice opponent for us’.

Malaga won 2-1 in the game between the clubs earlier this season, but Villarreal have not been beaten on home soil by Los Boquerones in the previous two Primera Division campaigns.

But with the run of form the two sides are on we expect the visitors to just have the edge on Thursday.

Prediction: Malaga Away 90 Minutes @ 7/4
Value Bet: Draw/Malaga HT/FT @ 9/2

Racing Santander go into Thursday’s home clash against Real Mallorca well aware that time is running out on their bid for survival as they currently sit in second-bottom spot and are seven points adrift of safety.

However Alvaro Cervera’s side are stuck in a poor run of form with four defeats and a draw in their last five games which has edged them closer to the drop.

Mallorca had eased their own relegation fears with two successive wins, before two straight defeats and a draw in the last three has left them looking over their shoulders once again.

Therefore it is a crunch fixture which could see Racing pull themselves back into contention for safety or Mallorca will virtually guarantee survival, while a draw will probably help the visitors out of the two sides.

Racing won last season’s home clash 2-0, but Mallorca edged the game earlier this season 2-1 so expect a close encounter.

It is a must-win match for Racing, but it does not seem that they have enough about them to get one and we expect Mallorca to secure a share of the spoils.

Prediction: Draw 90 Minutes @ 9/4
Value Bet: 1-1 Correct Score @ 11/2

Thursday’s third clash sees struggling Real Zaragoza, who occupy 18th place in the Primera Division travel to face a Sevilla side with ambitions of securing a top-six finish.

Zaragoza head to Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on the back of a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Barcelona on Saturday, but they had won the three games before that to move to within four points of fourth-bottom Villarreal.

Therefore Minolo Jimenez’s side should be in good spirits for the game against a Sevilla side which saw its hopes of a European place suffer a set-back in Sunday’s 1-0 defeat at Athletic Bilbao which also followed a run of three straight victories.

Sevilla coach Michel was disappointed with the weekend’s defeat and called on his players to respond quickly as they currently sit four points off sixth-placed Osasuna ahead of the game.

Sevilla have enjoyed the better of the head-to-heads with four wins in the last five meetings and that should continue on Thursday.

Prediction: Sevilla Home Win 90 Minutes @ 1/2
Value Bet: Sevilla 3-1 Correct Score @ 10/1

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The Hammers will go into this game well rested, after their game over the weekend at Peterborough fell foul of the freezing conditions the UK endured the past week. West Ham’s last outing saw them record a hard fought 2-1 victory over arch rivals Millwall in a fiery London derby.

Manager Sam Allardyce has stamped his authority on this side and, although they might not be playing in the ‘West Ham style’, they have been getting the results, as they sit a point above the Saints with a game in hand over the South Coast outfit.

It has been the same old names bagging in the goals for the Hammers, with former Chelsea striker Carlton Cole their top goalscorer in the Championship, with nine to his name so far. West Ham (10/11 Championship outright) managed to keep hold of the 28-year-old in the January transfer window and will be looking for the England international to be a threat at Upton Park on Tuesday.

New signing Nicky Maynard will be pushing for his first start for the Hammers following his move from Bristol City and he will cause the Saints defence problems if he features.

As for Southampton (4/1 Championship outright) they head into this game on the back of a comprehensive 2-0 victory over Burnley at St Mary’s, with their new striker Billy Sharp getting his first goal for the club since his switch from Doncaster Rovers. Alongside top goalscorer Rickie Lambert, who has scored 20 goals in the Championship this term, Sharp should thrive with his new employers and the pair will be a handful for the West Ham defence.

Neither side wants to lose this game and with little to choose between the pair, this one might be a draw at Upton Park.

Elsewhere, Blackpool have not lost a league game in 2012 and they will be looking to continue that record when they travel across the Pennines to take on Doncaster Rovers at the Keepmoat Stadium (Doncaster 2/1, draw 12/5, Blackpool 13/10). The Tangerines currently find themselves fifth in the table as they push for a swift return back to the Premier League following relegation last season.

Blackpool come up against a Doncaster side who have not played this month, after seeing their last two games against Reading and Crystal Palace cancelled due to frozen pitches. With the loss of their top goalscorer Sharp, the Yorkshire outfit might well struggle for goals and with the Seasiders looking strong in defence, the visitors should come out on top in this one.

Tuesday will also see struggling Nottingham Forest make the long trip to the North East to take on ninth place Middlesbrough (Boro 5/6, draw 5/2, Forest 10/3). Forest battled to a 1-1 draw with Watford in their last outing, with points vital to the East Midlands outfit if they are to get out of the relegation zone.

Manager Steve Cotterill will be pleased to be taking on a Boro side who are not playing their best football of the season after a strong start. Tony Mowbray’s side will still be a tough prospect at the Riverside and could well get back to form with a win over a Forest team who continue to struggle in front of goal.

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It has been a miserable campaign for the Yellow Submarine, whose supporters over the years have been more used to battling it out for Champions League football at the top end of the table. However this fixture is arguably as big as any tussles they may have had in the past to push for a top-four finish as they are in desperate need of the maximum points in this clash at El Madrigal.

Jose Francisco Molina’s side continued their struggles after the winter break after they followed up a creditable 2-2 derby home draw against high-flying neighbours Valencia with a dismal 3-0 drubbing away at Atletico Madrid last week, to leave them in perilous trouble in 19th position, but not cut adrift of safety just yet.

Therefore a win against the team directly above them would be just the tonic for Villarreal and they are set to be boosted by the fitness of leading scorer Marco Ruben, as the Argentinian has shaken off a muscular problem and is feeling in good shape.

Looking ahead to the important fixture, Ruben said: “This game is worth three points, we know and we are clear the difficulty [Sporting will pose]. But these are the games you have to win and go all for it.”

Villarreal’s task will be made all the more difficult by the fact Sporting Gijon will arrive on the back of a morale-boosting 2-1 home win against a big-spending Malaga side last weekend.

However, they marked their return from the break with a 2-0 defeat at mid-table Real Betis so need to rediscover the away form which has helped them pick up two wins on the road from eight games this term.

Sporting Gijon coach Manuel Preciado will be hampered slightly on the injury front as he assembles a 22-man squad for the trip as Ricardo and Gaston Sangoy are unlikely to feature. Looking ahead to the game and both sides know a win would enhance their survival hopes, but that could result in a touch of nerves from both sets of players which will not make for a classic encounter.

The previous meetings between these two sides have been closely-fought matches with last season’s head-to-head at El Madrigal ending in a 1-1 draw, while the return fixture also finished with the same score-line. The 2009/10 season saw both sides win their respective home games 1-0, while Villarreal did the double on Sporting Gijon in the previous campaign but the winning margin has only ever been by one goal.

All the signs are that it will not be a classic and it could be that both sides will have to settle for a share of the spoils.

Prediction: Draw 90 Minutes @ 12/5
Value Bet: Villarreal/Draw HT/FT @ 16/1

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St Johnstone

Saints were not at the races on Saturday, as third place Motherwell showed why they are the side chasing down Rangers and Celtic in the Scottish Premier League this season.

Manager Steve Lomas blamed his side’s lack of focus for the heavy home defeat last weekend but has highlighted the Tuesday night game against Aberdeen as a great opportunity to get their domestic campaign back on track.

Saints are now seven points off Motherwell in the table but will be able to narrow the gap if they can get a win over a struggling Aberdeen outfit.

Francisco Sandaza (9/2 first goalscorer) has been a dangerman for the Perth side, scoring six goals in the SPL so far this season.

The 27-year-old Spaniard, has notched up eight goals in all competitions and the visitors will have to be wary of the former Brighton striker on Tuesday night.

As for the Dons the alarm bells will be ringing among their fans as they continue to search for that elusive win.

Aberdeen are level on points with bottom of the table Dunfermline, after failing to secure a victory in their last six games.

Pressure is starting to mount on former Scotland manager Craig Brown, who could be forgiven for wondering why he left high-flying Motherwell in a controversial move last season.

The club’s problems have really started from the back as they have only kept one clean sheet in their last 11 outings in all competitions.

They will need to start tightening things up in defence if they want to start climbing the table north of the border and avoid a battle at the bottom with the likes of Dunfermline, Hibernian and Inverness CT.

Aberdeen do have threats of their own upfront, with New Zealander Rory Fallon (8/1 first goalscorer) and Englishman Scott Vernon both having the ability to unlock defences and they may well fancy their chances against a side who shipped in three goals on the weekend.

Both teams will be desperate to pick up the three points for different reasons as they compete at different ends of the SPL table.

Despite being outclassed in their last outing Lomas should get his side fully focused on this game on Tuesday and it’s hard to see the home team not beating the lacklustre Dons, who may need to look in the January transfer market if they are to get themselves out of trouble this season.

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Manchester City

As far as the Premier League campaign goes, things could not be going better for manager Roberto Mancini and his men, as they sit pretty on the top of the table ahead of rivals Manchester United.

However, it has been a rocky road on their campaign in the Champions League with a draw against Napoli and a lesson in big European nights by one of the best, Bayern Munich, in 2-0 defeat.

City have had time to take stock of the position in what is a tough group for their debut season in the competition, and convincing wins in the Premier League over Blackburn Rovers and Aston Villa will not have done their confidence any harm.

What will have pleased Mancini will be the fact his side are scoring goals from all over the park, with six different players scoring in their last two outings in the top flight.

The recent performances of striker Mario Balotelli will also please the Italian tactician, as the former Inter Milan star has shown some glimpses of the form that made him a highly rated star at the San Siro.

All of City’s stars will have to be on top form if they are to get a result against Villarreal at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday, as the Spanish outfit have plenty of European experience to draw from.

Former United striker Giuseppe Rossi (8/1 first goalscorer) remains their key attacking threat and he would love to get one over on his former rivals from his time at Old Trafford.

The Yellow Submarine have a number of gifted players dotted around their starting XI with the likes of Jonathan de Guzman, Nilmar and skipper Marcos Senna.

City will have to be wary of their creative talents if they want to secure all three points, but with the form the Blues are in at the moment, they have enough firepower to beat the La Liga outfit.

Meanwhile, local rivals United get set to face new Champions League opposition in the form of Romanian side Otelul Galati (Otelul Galati 14/1, draw 11/2, United 1/5 – match prices).

Last year’s finalists will have to do without the services of experienced defender Rio Ferdinand, who has been left out of the squad with Nemanja Vidic coming back into the side from a calf injury.

Out of favour striker Dimitar Berbatov (4/1 first goalscorer), who missed United’s 1-1 draw with Liverpool has travelled to Romania and could feature in Sir Alex Ferguson’s starting XI.

Otelul Galati only lost 1-0 to Benfica in their last outing in the Champions League and will be no pushovers, but United should have the quality to head back to Old Trafford with the three points.

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