The qualifying stages for Euro 2020 are coming to a close, with the final two rounds of games to be played this month. For six nations, their place in next year’s competition is already guaranteed with matches to spare. One of those countries is Spain, who were the latest to qualify following their last-gasp draw against Sweden in October. At this early stage, UEFA Euro 2020 odds favour Robert Moreno’s side. But there is one key talking point – the lack of players representing Barcelona and Real Madrid. The times are changing and gone are the days that the big two dominate La Liga with ease. In recent seasons, we’ve seen the likes of Atlético Madrid and Sevilla enter the mix, and at the time of writing there are just three points separating the top seven in the division. To add some context, when La Roja won the 2010 World Cup, there were seven Barcelona players in the squad and six of them started the final against the Netherlands. In 2013, nine … [Read More...]
Ernesto Valverde Running Out of Time at Barcelona
The Catalan giants did little to ease the pressure on manager Ernesto Valverde after being held to a goalless draw by Slavia Prague in another below-par appearance at Camp Nou. Barcelona created a number of chances to break the deadlock but Lionel Messi saw numerous opportunities thwarted by the inspired Slavia goalkeeper Ondrej Kolar. The Camp Nou outfit fired six shots on target in a game which became Lionel Messi’s first Champions League group stage game since 2012 without a goal or an assist. Such an underachievement is another red flag at Camp Nou and the finger-pointing game has already started. Are Barca in Crisis? A look at the stats and numbers would not suggest Barcelona actually are in a crisis. Sitting top of both La Liga and Champions League group F after 12 and three rounds of respective competitions, Barcelona have plenty to worry about, though. Moreover, three league defeats on the road in 2019/20 are pretty indicative. The way these defeats came … [Read More...]
Real Sociedad the invisible club
You can’t help but feel a little sorry for Real Sociedad. In any other season, we would be beside ourselves with praise for the job Imanol Alguacil is doing at the club who have become most famous recently for their average mid-table finishes. The reason why is that the whites and Blues find themselves mixing it in the top four keeping a number of the established elite at bay. The problem though is Granada. The newly-promoted outfit have stolen all the headlines after sweeping to the top of the table (second now after Barca won last night) and have been doing a fine job of staying up there when many thought they would likely be relegation fodder. However, this appears to be suiting Sociedad as their ability to go under the radar is catching people out when they least expect it. Atletico Madrid know only too well the price you pay for under-estimating Sociedad this season after being on the end of a 2-0 defeat and most recently Real Betis and Celta Vigo suffered … [Read More...]
The 3 mid-week La Liga games not to miss
What a time to be alive as this week we get a double dose of La Liga action with mid-week and weekend games set to take place. With so much La Liga action to choose from, we have selected the three mid-week games you simply won’t want to miss with so much at stake in such a hectic season. Getafe v Granada – Thursday 31st Oct – 20.15 It feels slightly weird saying this, but Getafe have the honour of hosting league leaders Granada this weekend. Yep, you heard me right, Granada. Head coach Diego Martínez has worked miracles this season and guided his newly promoted charges to the summit of one of the biggest domestic leagues in the World with six wins from their opening ten games. Many expect Granada to blow up at any moment but victory over Real Betis at the weekend proved Granada have what it takes to maintain a serious push for European football next season. Getafe are happily going about their business in 11th and may be happy to take the draw. Real Madrid v … [Read More...]
Granada the unstoppable force
Well, nobody expected this! As soon as Granada earned promotion from the Segunda Division last season after finishing as runners-up, no one in Spain’s top flight even battered an eye-lid. After all, it was hardly the first time Granada would be contesting a season in La Liga and considering the last time the Nazaríes finished inside the top flights top ten was in 1974, Granada were viewed by many as the whipping boys of the division once again. However, it seems manager Diego Martínez has been feeding his unfancied chargers a double dose of Weetabix as the find selves tucked nicely behind Real Madrid in second in Spain’s top flight after seven games. Victories over Espanyol, Celta Vigo, Leganes and of course that stunning win over Barcelona (yes, Barcelona). High profile draws against Villarreal and Real Valladolid have topped up the points tally with just one defeat to Sevilla the only blemish on a remarkable record in their opening seven games. Can … [Read More...]
Sunday’s game of the day preview: Sevilla v Sociedad
On Saturday we witness without doubt the game of the weekend. In fact, the game of the month as the Madrid derby takes place. However, in any other week, Sunday’s contest between Sevilla and Real Sociedad would catch the eye as at the time of writing it is Sociedad who surprisingly occupy second spot in La Liga. With Sevilla occupying eighth heading into this weekend, the importance for both cannot be underestimated as both will look to build on their early season and maintain a push for a top four spot. But the question remains – who will win come Sunday night? Head to head Unsurprisingly, it is Sevilla who just edge the head to heads in recent seasons. The Sevillistas have claimed three wins in the pairs last six meetings with two draw and a single Sociedad win. The last time Sociedad visited the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán they were on the receiving end of a 5-2 defeat despite heading into the break one a piece. However, the visitors did record a … [Read More...]
3 Games in – How are the promoted teams getting on?
The 2019/20 La Liga season is still in its infancy just three games deep but already there are a few sides that have caught the eye for the right reasons and some for the wrong reasons. Two sides who are surprising many with their poor starts are Real Madrid and Barcelona who both surprisingly find themselves out of the top four. That means there may be some opportunity in the La Liga betting this season to gain some unexpected value – but only if you act quickly. However, those two sides often steal the limelight and with the prize of competing in La Liga so great, how have the sides newly promoted from the Segunda Division (and expected to contest a relegation battle) fared early on in the season? Well, we decided to take a look and you may be surprised. Osasuna – Current position 6th Segunda champions last season, Osasuna have surprised many by heading into the international break with an unbeaten record. One win and two draws mean the perennial yo-yo side … [Read More...]
How to Watch Spanish Football Online from Anywhere
Soccer is popular in Spain. There are three Spanish football leagues, La Liga, Primera, and Segunda. La Liga is the most famous league in Spain. It features top clubs such as Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, and Sevila. Betway offers many betting options for Spanish football. Here are six ways in which you can watch Spanish soccer online. 1. NordVPN Unblocking individual Spanish football streams is tricky. NordVPN has a network of more than 5,000 servers globally. Most of them are located in Australia, Spain, the UK, and the U.S. They offer seamless streaming of various Spanish leagues. The virtual private network has an in-built SmartPlay that helps you connect to a reliable server. NordVPN has a CyberSec feature which blocks ads, malicious malware and websites. It uses a 256-bit AES encryption to protect your data. Also, it offers a kill switch and a secure DNS. Soccer fans can connect to six devices with a single subscription. It has native … [Read More...]