Deportivo Alaves vs Real Valladolid
Estadio de Mendizorroza, Vitoria Gasteiz
Saturday, 09-11-2019 @3pm
Alaves find themselves down in 16th and just three points clear of the relegation zone after going down 4-2 at Osasuna last weekend, a result which marked their fifth consecutive away defeat in La Liga.
There’s pressure on Babazorros to secure a positive result when they host 12th placed Valladolid this Saturday, but they go into the contest as narrow favourites by virtue of their strong form at Mendizorroza so far this season.
With just a single point picked up from six matches, Alaves have been nothing short of atrocious on the road this term. Babazorros have conceded more goals than any other team on their travels with 16 shipped already and their Matchday 12 loss at Osasuna was the second consecutive away game in which Asier Garitano’s men have been hit for four.
Whilst deeply frustrating for Garitano and Alaves fans, Babazorros have at least performed to a much higher standard at Mendizorroza this season and their home form is currently keeping the team’s head above the relegation parapet.
A terrific long range effort from Lucas Perez earned Alaves a creditable 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid on Matchday 11, and Garitano’s side have accrued seven points from their last three at home after 2-0 victories against Mallorca and Celta Vigo.
The Basque outfit have 11 points on the board in total from their six matches at Mendizorroza and boast a healthy 66% clean sheet ratio in front of their own supporters. So regardless of their inexplicably bad showings on the road including last week’s beating in Pamplona, we can expect a decent performance from Alaves here and a stern test for visitors.
Valladolid have been nowhere near as poor as Alaves on their travels, however the three defeats they have suffered this season have all been outside of Castille and Leon, including a 5-1 hammering at the hands of Barcelona two starts ago.
Pucela bounced back superbly to thrash Mallorca 3-0 at Jose Zorrilla on Sunday morning and have been an extremely tough outfit to overcome on the whole this term, but the fact they have won just one of their last six away matches justifies why they are rated as the underdogs for this weekend’s contest – particularly as that rare away triumph came against 19th placed Espanyol.
Valencia vs Granada
Estadio Mestalla, Valencia
Saturday, 09-11-2019 @7pm
It’s been an indifferent start to the campaign on all fronts for Valencia, however Los Che have enjoyed a decent week after a 1-2 away win at Espanyol and a convincing 4-1 success at home to Lille in the Champions League.
Albert Celades’ side are down in 13th but sit just three points behind the top six, and they will be confident of closing the gap this Saturday against a Granada side whose excellent opening to the season appears to be dissipating.
After picking up just five points from five games on the road, Valencia desperately needed to secure victory against second bottom Espanyol at RCDE Stadium last weekend, and they narrowly obliged after going behind thanks to a penalty from Dani Parejo and a late winner from summer signing Maxi Gomez.
The result teed Los Che up nicely for their Tuesday night Champions League encounter at home to Lille, and a flurry of four goals in the last 25 minutes ensured that Albert Celades’ men head into their final two group games as co-leaders alongside Ajax and Chelsea.
Momentum may finally be starting to gather for Valencia and they will welcome another outing at Mestalla this Saturday where they are unbeaten in La Liga this term (W2, D4).
After just two home defeats in 2018/19 en route to finishing 4th, Los Che will be extremely keen to maintain their ground’s fortress-like status again this season and they are rightly favourites to land the spoils here against Granada on Matchday 13.
Granada began the campaign in terrific style following their promotion from Segunda and briefly found themselves on top of La Liga at the end of October after consecutive 1-0 wins against Osasuna and Real Betis.
Nonetheless, back to back defeats this month against Getafe (3-1) and Real Sociedad (1-2) have seen Nazaries drop to 6th and their away form is a concern going into Saturday’s encounter. Diego Martinez’ side have managed to pick up just one draw from their last three outings on the road, conceding eight goals in the process.
Whilst Valencia have been largely unpredictable and unreliable so far this term, their overall form at Mestalla is solid and on the evidence of the past few days, Los Che are beginning to click under new boss Celades.
Eibar vs Real Madrid
Estadio Municipal de Ipurua, Eibar
Saturday, 09-11-2019 @8:30pm
Real Madrid co-lead La Liga alongside Real Sociedad and main rivals Barcelona heading into Matchday 13, but with those sides facing soft-looking home games against Leganes and Celta Vigo respectively, Los Blancos will likely need to bag all three points here against Eibar to keep level pegging at the top of the table.
With the hosts currently sitting 14th, Saturday’s clash could seem like a fairly straightforward task for Zinedine Zidane’s men at first glance, especially considering that they go into the game on the back of a 6-0 romp against Galatasaray in midweek.
Nonetheless, Real will be wary of their trip to Ipurua after being stunned 3-0 in last season’s corresponding fixture, and there are reasons to believe that Los Armeros can claim another positive result this time around.
Madrid have been far from convincing on their travels for some time now, and they were beaten 1-0 by newly promoted Mallorca when last on the road a fortnight ago.
Zidane’s side turned in a woeful display at Son Moix, reminiscent of their 3-0 hiding against PSG in September and several performances last season which contributed towards them losing seven out of 19 away league matches.
With two victories from five this term, Real have now won only ten of their last 24 La Liga away matches dating back to the start of last season – a ratio of around 40% which doesn’t befit a team looking to challenge for the La Liga title.
Zidane’s side are clearly fallible outside of Santiago Bernabeu and Eibar will be gunning to pounce after winning three of their last four at Ipurua.
The latest of those victories came on Halloween night as goals from Kike and Fabian Orellana secured a 2-1 triumph against Villarreal, and Eibar used that result as a springboard towards getting their first away win of the campaign on Matchday 12, as a further strike from Kike sealed another 1-2 win at Leganes.
Barcelona vs Real Celta Vigo
Estadio Camp Nou, Barcelona
Saturday, 09-11-2019 @11pm
It’s been a pretty lousy week for Barcelona all things considered. Ernesto Valverde’s side were humbled 3-1 by Levante last weekend in La Liga, before managing only a 0-0 stalemate on Tuesday evening at home to Slavia Prague in the Champions League.
The reigning champions need to get their act together this weekend, although they are fancied to do so against 18th-placed Celta Vigo, who have registered just two points from five away matches this season.
Although Barcelona had already been beaten twice in their opening 10 La Liga games, last weekend’s 3-1 reverse at Levante was a major shock – especially after the Catalans went in front seven minutes before half-time via a Lionel Messi penalty.
Barca headed into their fixture at Ciutat de Valencia in fine fettle on the back of seven straight victories in all competitions, the latest of those in La Liga being a 5-1 drubbing of a solid Valladolid side at Camp Nou.
But Barca were stunned in the second half by Granotas and the result clearly had an effect on Valverde’s charges on Tuesday at home to Slavia Prague.
Any left-field punters who backed a 0-0 scoreline there will have collected a tidy sum, as it was unimaginable Messi and co would draw a blank against the Czech outfit having blasted 23 goals in six previous matches at Camp Nou this season.
Fortunately for Barca, they had margin for error in both competitions. They remain top of their Champions League group with two games to play and they co-lead La Liga alongside Real Sociedad and Real Madrid, holding a game in hand on all but the latter.
Saturday night’s encounter with struggling Celta Vigo offers Barca a decent opportunity to start firing again and there could be a bit of a backlash from the champions here. They have won four and drawn one of their last five home meetings with Celestes, by an aggregate score of 20-3.
Barca’s barren runs never last too long and it’s probably wise to focus on these teams’ respective home and away form so far this season. Barca are a perfect five from five at Camp Nou with 21 goals scored, while Celta have drawn two and lost three on their travels, scoring just twice in total.
Additionally, the visitors have lost four consecutive league matches on the bounce, failing to score in three – a run which led to the inevitable dismissal of Fran Escriba this week. Former Watford, Red Bull Salzburg and Olympiakos manager Oscar Garcia steps into the fray and the 46-year-old couldn’t have asked for a tougher start to his tenure at the Galician club.
Mallorca vs Villarreal
Iberostar de Estadi, Palma de Mallorca
Sunday, 10-11-2019 @2pm
Mallorca are still without an away point in La Liga after going down 3-0 at Valladolid last weekend, and their travelling woes are placing huge pressure on the need for them to perform at Son Moix to stay above the safety line.
Los Bermellones have obliged on that front over the past few weeks with seven points accrued from their last three outings in Palma, but can Vicente Moreno’s men keep that run going this Sunday when they entertain Javier Calleja’s Villarreal?
Mallorca’s managed just four away wins in Segunda last term despite finishing 5th, so it’s no surprise that Los Bermellones have struggled so badly on the road in La Liga so far. Last weekend’s 3-0 hiding at Valladolid was their fifth defeat from five outside of Palma, and the fourth time in those games that they have failed to score.
Mallorca’s excellent home form (W15, D4, L2) dragged them into the Segunda Play-offs in 2018/19, and the Balearic Islanders are again relying on their results at Son Moix to get by.
Mallorca have really stepped up to the plate at home in recent weeks, with their 1-0 triumph over Real Madrid being the clear highlight of their campaign to date. The 11 points they have collected in total at home is currently enough to see them in 17th spot, but they need a positive result against Villarreal this weekend to ensure that they don’t fall into the bottom three.
Villarreal are 8th in the table so this represents a stiff task for Mallorca, however the hosts will be confident of getting something from this game. Villarreal were beaten 2-1 by Eibar when last on the road at the end of October and El Submarino have lost four from six in total on their travels this season.
It’s a record that Villarreal need to improve quickly if they are going to challenge for European qualification this season, but a win here on Sunday could see Calleja’s side move into the top six come the end of the weekend.
Athletic Bilbao vs Levante
San Mames Barria, Bilbao
Sunday, 10-11-2019 @4pm
Athletic Bilbao held a share of the early lead in La Liga after notching 11 points from their opening five games; however a miserable run of two draws and three defeats from their next five outings saw Los Leones quickly drop out of contention.
Things have picked up again though for Gaizka Garitano’s men since the end of October, with a resounding 3-0 win posted over Espanyol at San Mames preceding a hard fought goalless stalemate away to Villarreal last weekend.
Bilbao still find themselves in 10th going into Matchday 13, but they are only three points behind the top six and five behind leaders Barcelona. It means a win here against Levante at San Mames will go a long way towards getting Los Leones back in the mix at the business end of the table.
Bilbao have been chalked up as favourites at around the 4/6 mark for this clash, and it’s easy to see why considering they have won four and drawn one of their six home matches this season, scoring nine goals and keeping clean sheets on four occasions.
Additionally, Athletic have lost just one of their last 18 matches at San Mames, where they are traditionally granite tough to break down. Garitano’s side edged out Levante 3-2 in last term’s corresponding fixture and they have won nine of their last 11 home meetings against Granotas.
With confidence starting to re-build and their defence rock solid at present, Bilbao should be able to squeeze out Levante again this Sunday, with Granotas losing four from six on the road so far this season.
Atletico Madrid vs Espanyol
Estadio Wanda Metropolitano, Madrid
Sunday, 10-11-2019 @6pm
Fourth placed Atletico Madrid take on second bottom Espanyol at Wanda Metropolitano this weekend, and it’s a must win game for Diego Simeone’s side if they are to remain firmly in the mix at the top of the table.
It’s been a frustrating week or two for Los Rojiblancos after consecutive La Liga draws and a Champions League defeat at Leverkusen, but the visit of Periquitos on Matchday 13 looks like a decent opportunity for Atleti to restore some order.
Atleti’s habit of drawing too many games has continued this season, with six of their 12 La Liga matches thus far finishing all square, including four of their last five.
A point away to 5th placed Sevilla last weekend has to be considered a good result, however their prior fixtures against Valencia at home (1-1) and Valladolid away (0-0) have to be marked down as points dropped and missed opportunities.
Fortunately for Atleti, champions Barcelona are hardly running away with things at the moment after three defeats from 11 games, so Diego Simeone’s men are just a point behind the Catalan giants, Real Madrid and Real Sociedad – albeit they have played one game more than the El Clasico teams.
Atleti have to start winning on a more regular basis though if they are to sustain a title challenge this term and anything less than three points against 19th placed Espanyol this weekend will be a failure.
Madrid go into this fixture having lost 2-1 against Leverkusen in Germany on Tuesday night, but they should ultimately have enough quality to bounce back and get the job done here.
Atleti are ultra-consistent at Wanda Metropolitano, winning 18 and losing just one of their last 26 home league games. They face-off against an Espanyol side who have lost eight of their 12 La Liga fixtures this season, including five of their last six – a miserable run broken only by Periquitos’ positive performances in the Europa League.
The visitors indeed head to Wanda having thrashed Ludogorets Razgrad 6-0 on Thursday, although their emphatic triumph is probably worth taking with a pinch of salt in the context of this match, considering the level of opponent and the fact the Bulgarians were reduced to nine men for much of the contest at RCDE Stadium.
Getafe vs Osasuna
Colusium Alfonso Perez, Getafe
Sunday, 10-11-2019 @8:30pm
After four league wins from five including a 0-1 success at Celta Vigo on Matchday 12, last season’s 5th placed side Getafe are now up to 7th and right back in contention to challenge for European qualification again this term.
Pepe Bordalas’ men will be keen to make further progress this weekend when they entertain 9th placed Osasuna at Coliseum Alfonso Perez; however they can expect a serious battle for the points from Los Rojillos’ based on their tough and consistent performances since returning to the top flight.
Last season’s lofty finish means Getafe have had to juggle La Liga and Europa League commitments this term, and their form in both competitions has flip-flopped markedly over the past month or so.
A slow start in La Liga was countered by consecutive Group C victories and encouraging displays against Trabzonspor and Krasnodar, but since Getafe have hit their stride in La Liga, they have suffered back to back Europa League defeats against Basel, including a 2-1 loss in Switzerland on Thursday.
Getafe will still fancy their chances of progressing to the knockout stages, but it does seem now as though Pepe Bordalas is fully prioritising his side’s domestic engagements.
The Madrilenians understandably hold favouritism for this Sunday’s clash after winning three of their last four La Liga games at home by a two goal margin (Mallorca 4-2, Leganes 2-0, Granada 3-1) however Osasuna are likely to pose a stiffer challenge than most of Getafe’s recent opponents.
Los Rojillos have lost just twice from 12 La Liga outings this season and they travel to the capital this Sunday with seven points in the bag from their last three matches, following wins against Valencia (3-1) and Alaves (4-2) either side of a credible 2-2 draw against Mallorca at Son Moix.
Jagoba Arrasate’s men have proven themselves to be a well organised and resolute outfit that, as typified by their six draws so far, are very difficult to beat. We think they can earn another point here this Sunday – especially as the hosts could be feeling the pinch a little after their midweek defeat in Switzerland.
Real Betis vs Sevilla
Estadio Benito Villamarin, Seville
Sunday, 10-11-2019 @11pm
This weekend’s action in La Liga concludes with a bang on Sunday night as 15th placed Real Betis and 5th placed Sevilla clash in El Gran Derbi of Seville at Benito Villamarin. This is one of the fiercest and most long standing rivalries in Spanish football, and we can expect a close contest despite the current gap between the sides in the table.
Sevilla’s ultimate aim this season is to qualify for the Champions League and they have enjoyed a decent season so far under new boss Julen Lopetegui. They are currently one place below where they need to be in 5th; however Los Palanganas are only a single point behind co-leaders Barcelona, Real Madrid and Real Sociedad heading into Matchday 13.
Sevilla have recovered well from their 4-0 trouncing at Barca before the international break to claim eight points from their last four games, posting victories over Levante (1-0) and Getafe (2-0) before consecutive 1-1 draws against Valencia at Mestalla and Atletico Madrid at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan last weekend.
Lopetegui’s side secured qualification as anticipated for the Europa League knockout stages in midweek with a bloodless 2-5 success in Luxembourg against F91 Dudelange, and overall they travel to Benito Villamarin this Sunday in great shape on all fronts.
Nonetheless, Sevilla still have questions to answer in terms of their La Liga form on the road. They have picked up just a single point from their last three domestic away days and that will stoke up Los Verdiblancos who have notched 11 points from their six home matches this term.
Betis endured a rough start to the campaign under Rubi; however they have taken a couple of big steps forward over the past week or so. Betis ousted Celta Vigo 2-1 at Benito Villamarin in a bottom of the table six-pointer on Matchday 11, before scrapping out a 0-0 stalemate against Real Madrid at Santiago Bernabeu last weekend.
The latter result was particularly impressive considering Los Verdiblancos had earned just one point and shipped 14 goals in their first five games on the road this term, and holding Los Blancos will give Rubi’s charges a big lift going into this Sunday’s derby clash.
