the draw between barcelona and atletico madrid last weekend allowed real madrid to close the gap on top spot. that brought an end to barca’s perfect start to the new la liga season, but they’re still top of the table.
barcelona v malaga: barca out for sixth straight home win
barcelona may have trouble going on behind the scenes, but it’s been plain sailing for them on the pitch. the catalans have won all but one of their league matches this season, and they’re off to a great start in the champions league. having taken maximum points from their home matches so far, they’re obviously massive favourites to see off malaga this weekend.
the league’s bottom side are making this trip with a decent record against barca, but they’re struggling so badly that it shouldn’t make a difference. all we can really see in this game is a comfortable win for the hosts, who have clicked with ease with their new manager and don’t seem at all worried about neymar’s departure.
malaga have failed to score in seven of their last nine, and we expect them to be handed a heavy beating here. we like the look of barca with a -3 handicap which can be backed at 6/4 with betfair. we’re also going with over 3.5 goals for the hosts, which is priced at 4/5 with coral. given how lionel messi is playing at the minute, both of those look to be really attainable for the league leaders.
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atletico madrid are the dark horses in spain once again, and their 1-1 draw with barcelona kept them in contention. with diego costa on his way in january, they are going to pack a punch going forward, but things are a little more limited for atleti of late. their recent away trips have seen them either over-commit going forward and concede, or keep things tight and end up with a 0-0. when it comes to facing celta, they’re more than likely going to need to push forward at some stage.
they travel to a celta side who have scored in their last six home games, and they have some good options in the final third. there’s enough in the hosts’ forward line to get them a goal in this clash. given the solid start celta have made, they’ll be more than a threat to an atletico side who travelled to kazakhstan during the week. we’re backing both teams to score in this clash, which is priced at 11/10 with ladbrokes.
real madrid v eibar: has real’s home form turned a corner?
real madrid suffered yet another disappointing home result, as they drew 1-1 with tottenham in the champions league. that slip has only added to their problems this season, but can they get back on track when they face eibar on sunday? the bookmakers believe so, but we don’t think los blancos will be able to rack up a big victory after two wins in six at home.
eibar picked up a draw here last season, and they should run real close this time around. with the european champions not scoring all that regularly, a high scoring win can seemingly be ruled out. there have been under 3.5 goals in 75% of real’s games, so a home win and under 3.5 looks like a great value bet at 15/8 with coral. we’re also predicting eibar to win with a +3 handicap, which is priced up at 6/5 with bet365. given that real aren’t scoring freely and have been sloppy at the back, it’s hard to see them running away with a 4-1 or 5-1 win. we expect a closer game, with eibar finishing within two goals of the champions.
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