Despite a performance that further confirmed Karim Benzema’s status as a world class striker, Dan Fitch has found a big price for the player, as he previews the weekend La Liga action.
Rayo Vallecano 3.55/2 v Sevilla 2.447/5; The Draw 3.259/4
Sunday 13 March, 13:00
Live on La LigaTV and Betfair Live Video
Sevilla need to start turning draws into wins, if they are to stand any chance of reigniting the La Liga title race.
They go into this weekend’s match against Rayo Vallecano, in second place, eight points behind the leaders Real Madrid, who are in action on Monday. Like Real Madrid, Sevilla have only lost two league games all season, but they have drawn ten of their 27 matches (W15).
Six of those draws have come in the last ten league games, with Julen Lopetegui’s side drawing in each of their last four away games. In midweek they enjoyed a 1-0 win at home against West Ham in the Europa League and Lopetegui will now be hoping for a second successive victory, as his team prepares for a Vallecano side in poor form.
The hosts have failed to win any of their last seven games across all competitions (D1 L6), which has seen a once promising looking season, take a swift downward turn. There’s every reason to think that Sevilla should end their run and claim an away win here, but it would be foolish to do anything else but to back them in the Draw No Bet market, where they are available at 1.715/7.
Goals can flow for Barca again
Barcelona 1.351/3 v Osasuna 10.519/2; The Draw 5.79/2
Sunday 13 March, 20:00
Live on La LigaTV and Betfair Live Video
Barcelona went up to third place in La Liga last weekend and need to continue their fine form against Osasuna.
Xavi’s team are now unbeaten in eleven league games (W7 D4), with that run starting with a 2-2 draw at Osasuna in the reverse fixture. Goals were sometimes hard to come by at the beginning of Xavi’s reign, but since the January transfer window closed, Barca have scored 15 goals in five league games.
It was a surprise then to see Barcelona held to a 0-0 draw by Galatasaray in the Europa League on Thursday. It was a game that Barca dominated, but of 16 shots at goal, only four were on target.
An erratic Osasuna team that are thirteenth in the table, can’t hope to be so lucky. Barca now have a lot of options in attack and you can back a home win and over 2.5 goals at 2.01/1.
Benzema having greatest ever season
Mallorca 6.25/1 v Real Madrid 1.574/7; The Draw 4.67/2
Monday 14 March, 20:00
Live on La LigaTV and Betfair Live Video
The league leaders Real Madrid complete the La Liga action on Monday night, off the back of a thrilling Champions League win on Wednesday.
Real were 2-0 down on aggregate after their transfer target Kylian Mbappe gave PSG the lead at the Bernabeu. A comeback looked unlikely on the evidence of the first 135 minutes of football, but in the second-half of the second-leg, a Karim Benzema inspired Madrid, progressed with a 3-2 victory.
Benzema scored all three of the goals, to continue an amazing campaign. The 34-year old now has 30 goals in 33 games and needs just three more to beat his record total of 32 in a season, which he set way back in 2012. Another player who continues to defy his age is Luka Modric, who gave an inspirational performance in midfield.
Mallorca have lost each of their last four games and are sixteenth in the table, just two points clear of the relegation zone. Benzema looks big at 1.9110/11 to score against them and you can combine him to find the net and Real Madrid to win as a Bet Builder and get odds of 2.3211/8.
Source: Betfair Spanish La Liga
