The International break is over with Spanish football riding high after impressive wins over first England, then a 6-0 thumping of World Cup finalists Croatia. Despite the national team’s summer woes, the is the sense that something special could be about to emerge once again as former Barcelona head coach Luis Enrique has started to stamp his authority on the side. That positivity looks set to make its mark on this weekend round of La Liga fixtures as we highlight three games you simply won’t want to miss this weekend. Huesca v Rayo Vallecano - Friday Both these sides have been in the news in recent weeks and not for the right reasons. Rayo Vallecano’s stadium has had to be shut down until Mid-October due to safety concerns which led to the postponement of the club’s match with Athletic Bilbao. Newly promoted minnows Huesca made the news for getting thumped 8-2 prior to the International break by none other than Barcelona. However, despite the loss, Huesca have … [Read More...]
What next for Rayo Vallecano after Vallecas safety concerns?
Described as a “disaster” in many headlines across the Spanish sporting press, over the last week or so, the closure of the dated Vallecas home of Rayo Vallecano has caused numerous problems amidst speculation that the stadium won’t be reopened until October, once urgent safety work has been completed. The matchday three fixture against Athletic Club Bilbao was postponed just days before it was due to take place. Rayo fans are angry at the leadership of their club, while the club’s directors are pointing accusing fingers at local authorities in Madrid, who they say are ultimately responsible for security and maintenance of the stadium. Returning to the Spanish elite division was never going to be easy for habitual underdogs Rayo, who are, unsurprisingly, amongst La Liga betting favourites for relegation this season having lost their first two games of the 2018-19. Nevertheless, their Vallecas stadium has always been known for the vibrant support of the fans, passionately urging … [Read More...]
La Liga Sides Look to Continue Europa Dominance
Friday saw the draw for the group stage of the Europa League take place in the lavish surroundings of Monaco. Over the last 15 European second-tier tournaments, Spanish top flight sides have dominated the competition winning nine of the fifteen finals. In fact, such has been the dominance of La Liga sides, that five of the last seven victors have hailed from Spain. This decade alone, Sevilla has won the tournament three times as have Atletico Madrid with Diego Simeone’s men the current defending champions. As another Europa League season reaches its group stage, we look at who the qualified La Liga sides have been drawn and their chances of progression. Real Betis – Group F The Betico’s surprised many last season after ending the campaign in sixth and thus earning themselves a spot in Europe. On Friday, the club was handed a tricky group facing fixtures against Greek giants Olympiakos, Italian heavyweight’s AC Milan and Luxembourg minnows Dudelange. However, … [Read More...]
Who’s Playing Who in La Liga this Weekend?
Two games into the new Spanish season and the table looks much as we all expected it too. Real Madrid and Barcelona occupying first and second and then the rest. We all know it is far to early to read anything into a league table after just 180 minutes of action but we all like to anyway. So, with another actioned packed weekend ahead of us, we take a look at who’s playing who this weekend and look at who will win the weekend battles. Friday The action kicks off on Friday 31st with three games scheduled to play. Getafe host Valladolid in the 7pm kick off in a game that the home side will hope to dominate but find themselves settling for a draw against the newly promoted outfit. Villarreal then hosts minnows Girona who courageously took the lead over Real Madrid last time out before being taught a footballing lesson and taken down 4-1. Villarreal will be cautious in this one but with home advantage really should get the job done. To end the days, play on … [Read More...]
Big Match Preview: Atletico Aim to Blind the Bats
Pre-season is over and if there is one thing we have learned in football, it is that talk is cheap, but players cost a fortune. As Atletico Madrid found out with a summer spending spree of over £110 million. However, it looks like money well spent with the first trophy of the season in the back pocket after Diego Simeone masterminded a European Super Cup triumph over bitter neighbours Real Madrid. Heading into the new La Liga season, there could an unexpected opportunity for Atletico Madrid to repeat their feat of 2013/14 by winning the league title. Real Madrid has already proven beatable and face their first season for nine-years without star man Cristiano Ronaldo and enter the new season with a new head coach in former Spain boss Julen Lopetegui. Although defending league champions Barcelona looked relatively settled, by comparison, another year on Messi can only go to aid Atletico’s title cause. However, as we mentioned at the top of this article, talk is cheap, … [Read More...]
Bookies expect Barcelona to double-up with another La Liga title win
The summer carnival of football is over with France beating Croatia at the World Cup final in Moscow. It was a rather disappointing effort from the betting favourites though. Germany bowed out at the group stage, Brazil were eliminated in the quarterfinals and Spain topped Group B ahead of Portugal but lost to hosts Russia in the round of 16. Fans will be delighted to see the return of club football and the new La Liga season is fast approaching, the big kick-off scheduled for Friday 17th August. Major divisions are getting underway across Europe with the English top-tier out the starting blocks a week earlier. Source: FC Barcelona via Twitter Former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola pushed his Manchester City side to the title last term and they lead the way in the betting for two-in-a-row with the Premier League odds 2019 marking The Sky Blues as … [Read More...]
Real Madrid on Red Alert after Willian Passport Fail
It is common knowledge that Real Madrid have money in the bank after the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus a couple of weeks ago and it is common knowledge that Los Blancos have submitted a £100 million bid for Chelsea duo Thibaut Courtois and Willian. However, it has emerged that talks between Real and Chelsea shot-stopper Courtois have come to a standstill even though the Real Hierarchy insist they still want Courtois at the club. That has not stopped the interest in Willian and the rumour mill has gone into overdrive after the Times reported that Willian failed to turn up for pre-season training after being given an extended break after the 29-year-olds exploits for Brazil at the World Cup. The Times report that Willian has claimed he s having passport issued but whether this is true or not, only time will tell. It is possible Willian is attempting to engineer a move away from his club, after all, it would not be the first time a player has tried to push through a … [Read More...]
Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in the La Liga Betting
As we approach August, the excitement begins to build once again as another season of La Liga action is set to kick off in a matter of weeks. There has been plenty of entertainment off the field this summer, so how has this affected the betting markets, and are there any little gems to be looking out for? Outright Winner Picking the La Liga title winner leaves you with only three realistic options and the bookmakers reflect this. Adding one of Real Madrid, Barcelona or Atletico Madrid to your bet slip makes complete sense, however, with numerous betting options available, having the types of bet slips explained could put you in an advantageous position in La Liga this season. Unsurprisingly, Real Madrid’s sale of Cristiano Ronaldo has made Barcelona odds-on favourites to win the league at a best price 4/5 with Real at 6/4. However, Atletico is worth a look at 14/1 with some significant signings made which have only strengthened Diego Simeone’s … [Read More...]