Barcelona’s bid for domestic dominance could be completed on Saturday but first, they will have to overcome a plucky Valencia side seeking their first piece of silverware since winning this very competition in 2008. So, how did both sides The route to the final Barcelona 5 cultural y deportiva leonesa 1 - (all results given as aggregate totals) The Spanish giants were paired with Segunda B division side cultural y deportiva leonesa for their opening exploits in the competition. Ernesto Valverde’s side breezed through two-legged affair 5-1 on aggregate to get their defence of to the easiest of starts. Barcelona 4 Levante 2 However, the Catalans ran into a dogged Levante in the second round of matches. A 2-1 loss on the road put the La Liga champions under pressure ahead of the second leg, however, true to Barca form, a 3-0 home win ensured progression 4-2 on aggregate. Barcelona 6 Sevilla 3 Barcalona then took on Sevilla in the quarter finals and … [Read More...]
Atletico Madrid vs Sevilla: Crunch time for the visitors
With three games to go in La Liga this season (just two by the time this contest rolls around), one may be forgiven for thinking it is possible Atletico Madrid may take their foot off the gas as they prepare for their summer holidays. Many punters may fancy looking at Sevilla in their football betting because Atletico sit nine-points in front of their great rivals Real Madrid in the table and have secured Champions League football assured for next season. All of this begs the question of what is there left to play for? Err, actually, quite a lot. Atletico may not have a huge amount to play for, but their opponents Sevilla certainly do (although you can beat your life Diego Simeone will not want to do the Sevillistas any favours). Sevilla are currently embroiled in a remarkable battle with surprise package Getafe. The deep blues have come from seemingly nowhere to mount a serious challenge for Champions League football for next season and have gate-crashed the La Liga … [Read More...]
Who will be La Liga’s surprise package next season?
Whatever happens from now, Getafe will have had a season to celebrate and are all but assured of contesting some form of European football in 2019/20. When they confirm it, it will be only the third European campaign the club have embarked on and the first since the 2010/11 season. The deep blues have been on an upward curve since promotion from the Segunda division in 2017 and finished eighth last year in their first season back in the top flight. That makes José Bordalás’ side well worth a close look at in the betting markets for next season and making sure you get the William Hill promo code could prove to be a rewarding experience. So, with the season drawing to a close, can anyone copy Getafe next season and be La Liga’s surprise package? We look at some possible candidates. Alaves Getafe has stolen some of Alaves’ thunder this season. Abelardo Fernández’s men are enjoying a fine season themselves sitting in the top half of the table and with … [Read More...]
Messi Secures Title for Barca
It had to be him didn’t it! Lionel Messi struck the only goal of the game at the Camp Nou against Levante to secure his tenth La Liga title and twenty-sixth in the club’s history. The title success will arguably go down as one of Barcelona’s easiest seasons especially in recent memory with three games still to go and little to no threat coming from Real Madrid all campaign. And so, it was left to the club’s talisman on Sunday night to strike the killer blow against a Levante side who showed plenty of spirit as they tried to get away from the city with a point in the bag which would have proved incredibly useful in their battle to avoid the drop. Paco López’s men put up a stoic defence too holding out until just over the hour mark when Messi latched onto Vidal’s header, beat two defenders and stroked the ball into the back of the net. Going for the treble No doubt about it, Barcelona are the kings of Spain this season and are still attempting to claim a treble of … [Read More...]
Real Madrid Set for Transformation This Summer
Real Madrid have failed to live up to their usual high standards this season in La Liga and the Champions League, which could lead to the Spanish giants splashing the cash in the summer to reshape how their team looks for the 2019/20 campaign. Los Blancos said goodbye to Cristiano Ronaldo last summer as he left for Juventus and they have struggled to replace their leading goalscorer and that is reflected in the La Liga betting for the title as they are now as big as 100/1 going into the final two months of the campaign. Zinedine Zidane returned to the club a few weeks and has found a slight improvement from the squad. The Frenchman, though, has surely been promised a huge transfer chest to go out and land some of the world’s leading stars once the transfer window opens. Here are two players that have been linked with joining the Real Madrid revolution this summer and could be the future in the capital. Kylian Mbappe Kylian Mbappe is considered by many as the leading … [Read More...]
La Liga set for a record-breaking transfer window
Who doesn’t love a transfer rumour? Come on admit, we all do however, this summer looks set to be a window of epic proportions with a host of names being banded around. Some rumours are just that, but a number have been gathering some pace for awhile now and have quickly gone from being an opinion piece in the newspaper, to a genuine target for the clubs in question. With Barcelona running away with the league but boasting an aging squad and Real Madrid with Zinedine Zidane back at the helm and in need of a refresh, there is opportunity galore across Spain’s top flight (as Getafe are proving). So, as the summer transfer window draws ever nearer, we look at some of the La Liga transfer stories that are making the headlines ahead of what has the potential to be a record-breaking spending session for Spain’s top twenty clubs. Swap deal – Philippe Coutinho & Marcus Rashford It may be only hours since Ole Gunner Solskjær was handed the permanent reins at Manchester … [Read More...]
Huesca Dealt Cruel Real Blow
It is safe to say it has been a tough debut season in La Liga for minnows Huesca. However, the club that four years ago was plying its trade in Spain’s third tier has proven a welcome and solid edition to the league this season even if relegation is looking an almost certainty. With nine games to go, Francisco Javier Rodríguez Vílchez’s men find themselves seven-points adrift of safety. By no means down and out, but clearly with much to do and their fate out of their hands. Five wins this season has highlighted the progression a club can make despite boasting a stadium that only holds a meagre 7,638 spectators. Sevilla has so far been the biggest scalp the minnows have claimed defeating the almighty giants 2-1 at the beginning of March on home soil. That result will no doubt go down as the greatest in the club’s history, but on Sunday night, that result almost paled into insignificance. For many, a trip to thirteen-time European Champions Real Madrid Bernabeu is … [Read More...]
Will Cardoso be the man to help Celta Vigo realise their true potential?
IMAGE SOURCE: @RCCelta via Twitter Following a less than satisfactory start to the 2018-19 season in La Liga, Celta Vigo became the latest Spanish club to wield the axe when they sacked Antonio Mohamed, who only took the post at Balaidos last summer, along with his coaching staff. The Galician club didn’t waste any time in appointing a replacement, announcing the arrival of Portuguese coach Miguel Cardoso. Undoubtedly facing a difficult challenge, Cardoso will be tasked with turning a poor season around, aiming to guide the club towards finishing in the top half of the table, at the very least. Anything better than that will be a bonus, of course, with Celta Vigo 11/1 outsiders for the top six at Betway as of 14th November, albeit with much work for the new coach to do if his team is to realise the potential many feel they're capable of producing. It's a stark contrast to their hopes from just a few seasons ago. Stalled potential at Celta Vigo Just a few years ago, Celta … [Read More...]