Spanish La liga Predictions

Atletico Madrid vs Real Sociedad: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Atletico Madrid and Real Sociedad will battle for three points this Sunday when both sides meet at Wanda Metropolitano Stadium.

Atletico Madrid blew their chance of finishing in second position in the La Liga table away last time when they were held to a 3-3 draw with relegation battling Espanyol.

Diego Simeone’s side were leading 3-0 at one point in the game but took their foot off the pedal to allow Espanyol back in the game. And by doing so, they dropped to third position in the league standings.

Ahead of their final home game of the season, Atlético supporters will expect their team to step up and justify their position by defeating a top-five club for the first time this season.

The hosts have failed to beat the league’s big boys in six attempts so far (D2, L4), scoring no more than one goal on each occasion. They are fortunate their Champions League participation won’t hinge on their remaining fixtures against top-five rivals Real Sociedad and Villarreal.

Meanwhile, Sociedad can secure Champions League football if they win here.

The visitors kept their top four destiny in their hands last time, beating Almeria by 1-0. The win extended their unbeaten record to seven games (W5, D2) and saw them keep their third clean sheet in their last five games.

Having become the only team to defeat Barcelona at home this season, when they beat them two weeks ago, they will fancy their chances of ending Atlético’s eight-game winning streak at home.

Meanwhile, Sociedad are the only club to have registered more opening goals inside the first 30 minutes (17) than their opponents (15) this La Liga season. So the first half-hour could be an entertaining spectacle.

Therefore, we expect a first-half goal in this game.

Sevilla vs Real Madrid: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Real Madrid will travel to Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán this Saturday to face Europa League finalists Sevilla in the penultimate game of the 2022/23 La Liga season.

Sevilla’s chances of breaking into the European spots in the league table took a big hit last time as they were held to a 1-1 draw with already-relegated Elche.

That result means that they come into this penultimate weekend sitting one point behind Osasuna in the race for a spot in the Conference League qualifiers next season.

But they can be forgiven for taking their eyes off the ball as they can qualify for the Champions League, a far more superior competition, if they defeat AS Roma in Budapest next Wednesday.

But manager José Luis Mendilibar will want his side to give their best here to ensure they are prepared to secure top seven should the opportunity arise. He will want his side to extend their six-match unbeaten run in all competitions (W3, D3) and to keep their improved home league form this calendar year going (W7, D2, L2).

Meanwhile, Real Madrid will look to make it back-to-back wins for the first time in nine games when they face Sevilla.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side bounced back from back-to-back defeats to Manchester City and Valencia to win 2-1 against Rayo Vallecano last time. But even that win was not straightforward, as Los Blancos needed a late goal to win.

Yet, a run of eight games without defeat against Sevilla should make them confident of winning here. And having overtaken Atletico Madrid in second place, Ancelotti will want his side to end the season on a high note by winning their last two games and securing a top-two finish.

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Osasuna vs Athletic Bilbao: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Osasuna will welcome Athletic Bilbao to Estadio El Sadar this Thursday, with this meeting being their fourth meeting in this calendar year.

Both sides are still fighting for a place in Europe and can take a giant step towards their aim with a win here.

Extra time was needed to separate them after two Copa del Rey semi-final legs earlier this year, with Osasuna progressing to the final but ultimately losing to Real Madrid.

So a top-seven finish will be the only remaining path to continental action for the hosts, who currently sit in tenth position, three points behind their visitors in seventh.

So with three games to go, this is a must-win for them if they still want to play European football next season. Having drawn 0-0 in the reverse fixture, Jagoba Arrasate’s Osasuna would jump ahead of their rivals on the head-to-head tiebreaker with a win here.

However, four losses from their last five games (W1) show they are outsiders in this tie. Yet Bilbao’s one win from their last five games (D1, L3) doesn’t make them clear favourites.

But their record of five wins from their last seven La Liga visits to this stadium should give them confidence.

A decent away form this year should also serve as a morale booster, as Bilbao have picked up more La Liga wins on the road (W4, D3, L4) than at home (W3, D2, L5) since the World Cup.

Meanwhile, two of the last eight H2Hs in all competitions produced more than 2.5 total goals. So an under 2.5 goals bet is advisable for this game.

Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Real Madrid will look to get back to winning ways when they host Rayo Vallecano at Santiago Bernabeu this Wednesday.

The hosts have endured a frustrating finish to their season, with back-to-back defeats in all competitions soiling the mood of the Copa del Rey winners.

The latest frustration came in their 1-0 loss to Valencia at the weekend. Aside from being their third loss in their last five league games (W2), the game was also soiled by the report of racial abuse on Vinicius Junior.

The Brazilian forward had a torrid time in Estadio Mestalla at the weekend, culminating in being sent off for slapping Valencia’sValencia’s Hugo Duro. So he will miss this game, which will be a huge blow for Carlo Ancelotti’sAncelotti’s side, who are trying to secure a top-two finish.

Still, Los Blancos have a good record at home and in this fixture. They have won their last three home league games and recorded eleven consecutive H2H victories over Rayo Vallecano.

Like their hosts, the visitors are also looking to return to winning ways after being beaten 2-1 by relegation-battling Espanyol in their last outing.

Yet, although that loss was their third loss in their last four league games (W1), they could still finish in the La Liga top half for the first time since 2013, given that they are sitting in eleventh position, one point behind tenth-placed Osasuna.

But success on the road would help, as they haven’t won a league-away game since the end of January (D2, L5).

That said, we expect over 2.5 goals to be recorded in this game.

Real Valladolid vs Barcelona: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Barcelona will look to get back to winning ways this Tuesday when they travel to Estadio José Zorrilla to face struggling Real Valladolid.

The hosts’ struggles continued last Friday as they were beaten 2-0 by fellow strugglers Cadiz. The result means they remain in the relegation zone ahead of this round.

However, they are level in points with 17th-placed Getafe but have a worse goal difference. So it seems increasingly likely that their season finale meeting with Getafe, who they beat away earlier this season, could decide where they place football next season.

Coach Paulo Pezzolano said he wants his side to “be prepared for what is coming. But he will wish for a good result here as they can move out of the drop, albeit temporarily, if they avoid defeat.

However, they have lost their last five games, including back-to-back defeats at home. But, a run of just one defeat across six games (W3, D2) at home before that pair of defeats should give them some measure of confidence.

Meanwhile, La Liga champions Barcelona will travel to Estadio José Zorrilla on the back of a disappointing 2-1 loss to Real Sociedad.

After beating Espanyol to be crowned last champions last week, Xavi’s men couldn’t defeat Sociedad, eventually falling to fourth-placed Sociedad in a La Liga game for the first time since 1991.

But Xavi wasn’t bothered that his side lost after they “celebrated for practically the whole week.” Instead, the coach declared that Barca’s 27th top-flight title win was something they “will build on.”

He wouldn’t want to record back-to-back La Liga losses, though, while they are also desperate to keep their record against Valladolid in La Liga, having never lost a league H2H since March 2014 (W7).

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Real Sociedad vs Almería: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Real Sociedad will continue their quest for a place in the Champions League next season when they welcome relegation-threatened Almeria to Reale Arena this Tuesday.

The hosts strengthened their grip on fourth position with a 2-1 win over Barcelona at Camp Nou last time. That win was their first in the famous stadium since 1991 and ensured that they maintained their five-point lead over fifth-placed Villarreal in the fight for a top-four finish.

A win in this game will take them tantalisingly close to their aim of playing Champions League football for the first time in a decade and extend their unbeaten run in La Liga to six games (W4, D2).

Having not lost at home in seven games (W4, D3), Imanol Alguacil’s side will be confident of getting a good result.

Meanwhile, Almeria will travel to San Sebastian, desperate to win three points that could guarantee they play La Liga football next season.

The visitors come into this round of games still mathematically in the relegation battle, as they are only five points ahead of 19th-placed Espanyol.

But after boosting their survival chances with an impressive 3-0 win over Mallorca last time, they will fancy their chances of getting another positive result. Almería also has a healthy record of four wins from the previous nine H2Hs (D2, L3).

But the Rojiblancos travel to the north with the division’s joint-worst away record of just seven points (W1, D4, L12), whilst they have been defeated in all eleven La Liga away trips against clubs currently 12th or higher with an average losing margin of two goals.Meanwhile, Sociedad have scored exactly twice in five successive home league games, while Almería have conceded two or more goals in 12 of their last 14 away La Liga matches. So a high-scoring game of over 2.5 goals is highly likely, while BTTS/GG is also expected.

Valencia vs Real Madrid: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Real Madrid will look to get back to winning ways when they travel to Estadio de Mestalla this Sunday to play struggling Valencia.

The hosts have four games to save the bad season that has saw them lose 17 league games to sit close to the relegation zone.

A 2-1 win over Celta Vigo in the last game put them on course for survival as it moved them three points ahead of 18th position.

As such, their survival destiny is now in their own hands, and the signs are encouraging for them as they have lost just one of their last five league games (W3, D1).

Key to that late-season revival is their home form. Valencia have lost only one of their last six La Liga games as hosts (W3, D2). And even more impressive is that they have lost only one of the last four head-to-head meetings with Real Madrid (W2, D1).

But with both teams scoring in each of the last ten meetings at this ground, there could at least be goals aplenty in this one.

However, Real Madrid seems to be struggling in front of goal, having failed to score in their last outing, an embarrassing 4-0 loss to Manchester City in the Champions League.

That result means that Madrid have scored more than one goal in just one of their last five games in all competitions.

Having crashed out of the UCL, their focus is on finishing in the top two places in La Liga. Ahead of this tie, they hold a two-point advantage over city rivals Atlético, so the race for the second position could go down to the wire, especially given their recent struggles away from home.

Carlo Ancelotti’s men have won just one of their last five La Liga road fixtures (D1, L3), so they’ll be hoping that the lack of any other distractions can help them focus entirely on the job they need to do in the league.

That said, BTTS/GG is highly likely in this game, given that both teams have scored in the last ten meetings at this ground.

Cadiz vs Real Valladolid: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

La Liga returns this Friday, with relegation strugglers Cadiz and Real Valladolid facing off at Estadio Nuevo Mirandilla.

The hosts come into this tie desperate to return to winning ways after recording back-to-back away losses to Atletico Madrid (5-1) and Real Mallorca (1-0). However, despite these losses, Cadiz remain in a relatively strong position regarding their survival prospects.

They sit in 16th place, just one point ahead of 18th-placed Getafe. But they have a better run in given that two of their four remaining La Liga fixtures are at home to current bottom-half opponents.

They come into this round with an unbeaten La Liga home record this season against bottom sides (W3, D4), making them confident ahead of this tie.

Meanwhile, Real Valladolid are level on points with their hosts but are a place lower on the table due to a worse goal difference. In addition, they come into this tie on a run of four consecutive losses, with a 3-0 home loss to Sevilla the most recent in that sequence.

They will be desperate to win here against a weaker opponent to ensure that they don’t end this round in the bottom three. It is even more important to win here as they will still play 2022/23 La Liga champions Barcelona in late May.

But having won just two of the last ten head-to-head meetings with Cadiz (D5, L3), they will not be so confident going into this tie.

Meanwhile, all but two of Valladolid’s last 13 La Liga games scored more than 2.5 goals. So we can predict over 2.5 goals here.

Real Betis vs Rayo Vallecano: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Real Betis will continue their quest for European football next season when they host Rayo Vallecano on Monday.

The hosts come into this tie on the back of a 1-0 win over Athletic Bilbao. That result kept them in sixth position, four points ahead of Girona in seventh. So their dream of playing in the Europa League remains intact.

However, manager Manuel Pellegrini has publicly admitted he is “not confident” that his side will qualify for European football next season because of their recent form.

At one point this season, Betis looked certain to secure a UEFA Champions League spot for the first time since 2005/06, but four losses in their last seven La Liga outings (W2, D1) scuppered that dream.

While that claim by Pellegrini looks like a motivational tactic, the fact that the hosts have just three wins from their last eleven home league outings (D4, L4) shows why he might be keen to incentivise his squad.

Meanwhile, Rayo Vallecano travel to Estadio Benito Villamarín looking to make it back-to-back league wins. They come into this tie on the back of a 2-1 home win over Real Valladolid at home.

That win kept them on track to achieving their dream of qualifying for European football for only the second time in the club’s history. However, the Red Sashes are on a worryingly poor run on the road, losing four of their last six away fixtures (D2).

They don’t have happy memories in this fixture, having won only one of their last ten H2Hs (D4, L5), and that was a penalty shoot-out win in the Copa del Rey.

That said, Real Betis have lost eleven of the 13 league games in which they conceded the first goal (W2), so Vallecano will feel they have a chance after scoring first in three of their last four away games.

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Espanyol vs Barcelona: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Barcelona and Espanyol will renew their rivalry this Sunday when both sides meet at RCDE Stadium.

Espanyol come into this fixture in desperate need of maximum points that will push them further away from the relegation zone. They sit three points ahead of the relegation zone and should be highly motivated to win here.

The ignominy of rivals Barcelona being ahead by 51 points, the biggest gap in a Derbi Barceloní in the 21st century, should also trigger Luis García Fernández’s side.

But beating Barcelona hasn’t been something the White and Blues have been used to, as they are winless across 25 top-flight derbies (D7, L18), which is their worst such record against any opponent.

Meanwhile, Barcelona could seal the La Liga title win at Cornella de Llobregat if they win here and Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid drop points in their respective fixtures.

Yet, even though the Madrid clubs don’t drop points, Xavi’s men will be happy to take all three points and make it three wins in three league games after back-to-back wins over Real Betis (4-0) and Osasuna (1-0).

The 1-0 win over Osasuna on Tuesday was Barca’s eleventh victory by that scoreline this season, equalling the record for a full top-flight campaign. Those results also played their part in Barcelona collecting a 25th La Liga clean sheet this season, the joint-most for any team in the top-five European leagues this century.

The fact that they can push their derby neighbours closer to the drop could be extra motivation to produce another defensive masterclass, although Barça have kept just one clean sheet across their last four league trips to this venue.

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