Messi to tie up loose end

• Posted by: csabax
• 10 May 2013
• Football
• Comment!

Barcelona will be champions if they win at Atletico Madrid. A four-time Ballon d'Or winner should help them over the line, says Tobias Gourlay.

 

Levante v Zaragoza

Friday 20:00 (Live on Sky Sports Xtra)

Levante 3.05 Zaragoza 2.6 draw 3.4

 

The form table since the start of February has Levante bottom, taking eight points from 13 games. Their only win came as they were publicly suspected of not giving the  requisite 110% in a 4-0 defeat to relegation-threatened Deportivo La Coruna.

Lucky for the Frogs, the 2012 bit of this season went much better and they need just a single point to confirm themselves back in the top flight for another year. A  home game with Zaragoza, who have claimed one point from 24 on the road, looks a fine opportunity to ink themselves into the 2013/14 competition.

 

Except that Zaragoza have just won consecutive home games to leap out of the drop zone and back into life.

 

The visitors recent scoring record - ten in the last six rounds - suggests they can match hosts who have hit the back of the net only once in five games at the Ciudad  de Valencia.

 

Recommended Bet

Back the draw @ 3.4

 

Osasuna v Getafe

Saturday 19:00 (Live on Sky Sports 3)

Osasuna 1.92 Getafe 4.9 draw 3.6

 

Chilling news from Opta: the last three Liga runnings of this fixture have finished goalless.

 

And Osasuna are currently four home games without a goal.

 

Twelve of their last 14 in Pamplona have finished with Under 2.5 Goals.

 

Both of these two tend to keep things binary - Osasuna have scored once or not at all in 15/17 home games this season, Getafe have done the same in 7/8 on the road -  which makes it hard to see where a third goal might come from.

 

Recommended Bet

Back Under 2.5 Goals @ 1.78

 

Espanyol v Real Madrid

Saturday 21:00 (Live on Sky Sports 3)

Espanyol 6.7 Real 1.57 draw 4.5

 

Espanyol have little to play for and it's starting to show: they've lost a couple on the bounce after defeats in only three of Javier Aguirre's first 19 games.

 

The Parakeets have conceded twice or more in 5/10 at home under Aguirre and, with Cristiano Ronaldo likely to start for the visitors, the 5.3 about Any Unquoted Correct Score has some appeal.

 

The Copa del Rey final is up next weekend, giving Real a reason to keep their shooting boots polished and the fringe players a reward for good performances on  Saturday. Victory at the Cornella El Prat might also delay Barcelona's title celebrations for another week - and that's something Espanyol wouldn't mind icing either.

 

Recommended Bet

Back Real Madrid -1.5 @ 2.32

 

Atletico Madrid v Barcelona

Sunday 18:00 (Live on Sky Sports 1)

Atletico 3.8 Barcelona 2.0 draw 3.8

 

Barcelona will be crowned champions if they win at the Vicente Calderon on Sunday.

 

Leo Messi should be fit to start and that's enough to persuade us to back the Catalans to notch a sixth straight win over Atletico, who contrived to lose 2-1 at home  to city rivals Real just a fortnight ago.

 

Diego Simeone has the Copa del Rey final to think about and might even rest a few first-teamers.

 

Recommended Bet

Back Barcelona @ 2.0

 

Malaga v Sevilla

Sunday 20:00 (Live on Sky Sports 1)

Malaga 2.7 Sevilla 2.86 draw 3.5

 

Sevilla last won on the road at Deportivo La Coruna in September. Since then, every other team in the top five European leagues has won at least one away game.

 

But we are now in the twilight zone of the season, a shadowy place where motivation can be as important as form.

 

Malaga have lost 5/8 - most recently bested 6-2 by Real Madrid on Wednesday - and will probably not now make next season's Champions League, whatever the result of  their appeal.

 

The squad was stretched by a run to the quarter-finals of the Champions League that the players must now be feeling in their legs. For Manuel Pellegrini's men, the  rest of the season is not much more than a warm-down.

 

Away draws with Betis and Valladolid have shown Sevilla are not total losers away from home. With Geoffrey Kondogbia and Gary Medel back in central midfield, Unai  Emery's side have a chance to break new ground.

 

Recommended Bet

Back Sevilla Draw No Bet @ 2.02

 

(Source: Betfair)

 

Bet HERE

 

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