Soccer Spain LaLiga Prediction

Real Madrid vs Valladolid - Match Preview

⚽ 2 April 2023 - 14:15GMT +0

After Real Madrid entered the international break 12 points behind La Liga (LL) leaders and rivals Barcelona, it was no surprise that they were recently linked with buying all sorts of players, from Jude Bellingham to Dušan Vlahović and Alphonso Davies. Their 2-1 defeat to Barcelona before the break seemingly put the title out of reach and even manager Carlo Ancelotti’s future is being questioned.

That said, they’re still in the hunt for Champions League and Copa del Rey silverware, but for now, they must focus on defeating Real Valladolid, a team they’ve beaten ‘to nil’ in four straight H2Hs and haven’t lost to at home since May 2000 (W10, D3). Owing to Los Blancos not losing a home league game for more than a year (W11, D5), they’ll start as overwhelming favourites to extend that run into another month.

Valladolid have won only one of their last six LL games (D2, L3), so the international break may have given them a chance to regroup and plot how they’re going to maintain their top-flight status. They started the round just two points above the 18th-placed side with scoring goals a major issue, finding the back of the net only 20 times in league football this season.

The star-studded Madrid defence should make it hard for them to add to that tally at the Bernabéu, especially given their poor away LL record this term (W2, D2, L9). As Valladolid averages a paltry 0.62 goals per LL game on the road this season, and has scored just once across their last three visits (D1, L2), the omens are not good for the side owned by Brazilian ex-Real Madrid forward Ronaldo.

📋 Players to watch: Madrid’s Federico Valverde scored and assisted for Uruguay during the break and should fancy adding to his seven LL goals this term, the last two of which came after the 75th minute. Meanwhile, Cyle Larin has been Valladolid’s sole goalscorer in three of their last five LL matches.

⚡ Hot streak: Each of the last five H2Hs was goalless at half-time.

Real Madrid vs Valladolid - Match Preview

⚽ 2 April 2023 - 16:30 GMT +0

One of the biggest matches of the La Liga weekend takes place on Spain’s eastern coastline, as European contenders Villarreal and Real Sociedad go head-to-head. The Yellow Submarine went into the international break after a 3-0 victory over Osasuna ended a three-match winless run (D2, L1), and they’ll now be looking to close the seven-point gap to the top-four ahead of this round by securing further success here.

Home boss Quique Setién will be looking to make the Estadio de la Cerámica a harder place to visit, as he’s seen his side win just one of their last five home games in all competitions (D1, L3). He’ll be hoping to inspire a quicker start from his team if they’re to keep up their European pursuit, as Villarreal has led at the break in just four of their 26 league games (HT: D13, L9).

That’ll be music to the ears of visiting Sociedad who’ve opened the scoring in 17 of their 26 games, and continuing that would go some way to cementing their place inside the top four. La Real have won just one of their last seven games in all competitions though (D4, L2), a run that’s seen them crash out of the UEFA Europa League, meaning all of their focus will now be devoted to returning to the Champions League.

Imanol Alguacil’s men could move level on points with third-place Atlético Madrid with a victory here, as Sociedad aim for a first top-three finish in the top-flight since 2003! Hitting the road might even inspire confidence in achieving that as they’ve won 26 of their 48 points away from home, while they’re unbeaten in their last four league trips to Villarreal (W3, D1).

📋 Players to watch: Veteran forward José Luis Morales netted a late brace in Villarreal’s recent victory over Osasuna, and it could be late on that he makes an impact again as he’s now scored seven of his 14 goals beyond the 75th minute this term. Sociedad’s David Silva has enjoyed facing the Yellow Submarine, winning eight of his 12 personal H2Hs down the years (D1, L3).

⚡ Hot stat: Just one of Villarreal’s last six home games produced more than 2.5 goals.

Real Madrid vs Valladolid - Match Preview

⚽ 2 April 2023 - 19:00 GMT +0

Twice champions under Diego Simeone, Atlético Madrid will open up a nine-point cushion inside La Liga’s (LL) top-four if they can notch up a fourth successive win against fellow Champions League hopefuls Real Betis. The head coach has never failed to lead the Rojiblancos there in ten previous full seasons at the helm, and with just one loss in 12 LL games, their place amongst Europe’s elite looks safe once again.

With the Argentine’s charges also netting nine goals across their last two home matches alone, it’s difficult to see past yet another win for them. And if that proves to be the case, anyone with a goal-time coupon will certainly be eyeing up the 23rd minute for a possible breakthrough, with Atlético scoring in it three times across their last four home wins!

While unlikely it seems in the face of a free-scoring Atlético side, a Real Betis victory would undeniably blow the race for fourth place wide open. And with the Verdiblancos now free from Europa League distractions, nothing can yet be considered out of the question, especially with Betis going unbeaten in four LL road trips ahead of kick-off (W3, D1).

While the Verdiblancos also had enough stamina to net inside the final half-hour in each win, Betis’ appalling record against squads led out by Diego Simeone (W1, D5, L16) is hard to ignore. Much of that can be attributed to nine blanks registered across Betis’ ten prior away H2Hs against Atlético in the Simeone era, hinting at an unhappy start to April.

📋 Players to watch: Two of those aforementioned ‘23rd-minute’ goals for Atlético came via Antoine Griezmann, who netted a double in October’s reverse fixture (W 2-1), Albeit on home turf for Espanyol in May 2019, Borja Iglesias did likewise during his only prior goalscoring clash with Atlético. He also accounts for two of Betis’ last four LL away strikes.

⚡ Hot stat: The away side on the day has failed to score in a majority (six) of the last ten LL H2Hs.