Betis can be the pride of Seville

• Posted by: csabax
• 12 April 2013
• Football
• Comment!

Six more TV games follow Friday night's Andalusian derby. Tobias Gourlay has taken a view on all of them.

 

Real Betis v Sevilla

Friday 21:00 (Live on Sky Sports Xtra)

Betis 2.68 Sevilla 2.86 draw 3.6

 

Sevilla won the derby 5-1 in November.

 

Betis have a more recent 5-1 of their own to crow about - from last week's trip to Granada - and get the chance to reassert themselves at the Benito Villamarin on Friday night.

Pepe Mel's hosts are slight favourites, but we wonder if they shouldn't be more strongly fancied. Sevilla have taken one point from 15 on the road under Unai Emery and this time they're missing central defender Fernando Navarro, who was sent off a week ago.

 

Jesus Navas' return raises the prospect of an away goal, but top-scorer Alvaro Negredo tends not to thrive on big occasions - the city derby definitely counts as one - and in Opta's world he's missed as many 'big chances' as anyone in Europe's top five leagues this season. Away from home, he's scored once in seven games.

 

Both teams to score is keenly priced at 1.67 so, with Betis conceding only twice in six home games,  we'll taken them on an Asian Handicap instead.

 

Recommended Bet

Back Betis -0 @ 1.9

 

Espanyol v Valencia

Saturday 19:00 (Live on Sky Sports 3)

Espanyol 3.2 Valencia 2.46 draw 3.4

 

Javier Aguirre is unbeaten in eight home games since taking charge of Espanyol (W5-D3-L0).

 

Valencia have lost only once in seven away matches.

 

Draw?

 

Well, no one's finished more games all-square than Espanyol this season (9/30).

 

Recommended Bet

Back the draw @ 3.4

 

Malaga v Osasuna

Saturday 21:00 (Live on Sky Sports 3)

Malaga 2.06 Osasuna 4.1 draw 3.6

 

Malaga are W1-D3-L2 at home recently and their mood hasn't been improved by Tuesday's late exit from the Champions League.

 

The Anchovies have scored only four times in those six outings at La Rosaleda, which is (not) enough to suggest they will struggle against an Osasuna side that has scored eight in five on the road.

 

Malaga are barred from Europe next season, leaving them with little to play for, while Jose Luis Mendilibar's visitors are spurred on by the threat of relegation. Expect Osasuna to take at least a small step towards safety on Saturday.

 

Recommended Bet

Back Osasuna +0.5 @ 1.95

 

Atletico Madrid v Granada

Sunday 16:00 (Live on Sky Sports 1)

Atletico 1.36 Granada 11.5 draw 5.4

 

Granada are on a winless streak of seven. Until last weekend's 5-1 collapse at home to Betis, they were at least not getting beaten by much.

 

The goals have dried up for Atletico and, with playmaker in chief Arda Turan out injured, for them this could be a seventh straight game of Under 2.5 Goals.

 

In which case Falcao, who has claimed both of the two goals Atletico have scored at the Vicente Calderon in the last two months, is an idea for First Goalscorer.

 

That's what he's been on seven occasions already this season.

 

Recommended Bet

Back Under 2.5 Goals @ 2.12

 

Real Zaragoza v Barcelona

Sunday 18:00 (Live on Sky Sports 2)

Zaragoza 7.6 Barcelona 1.51 draw 4.8

 

Zaragoza are winless in 2013. The streak is 13 in total.

 

Finally a stroke of luck: Lionel Messi is likely to sit out the game in preparation for the stiffer challenge of Bayern Munich.

 

Barcelona's Liga results have not suffered in the aftermath of Champions League games: they're W8-D1-L0 immediately following European assignments this season, and the draw was at home to Real Madrid.

 

But their away form has dipped recently (W1-D2-L2), Messi's absence is a concern and the most consistent trend is for both teams to score: that's what's happened in 13/15 of Barca's road games so far this term.

 

Recommended Bet

Back Both Teams to Score @ 1.75

 

Athletic Bilbao v Real Madrid

Sunday 20:00 (Live on Sky Sports 2)

Athletic 7.4 Real 1.53 draw 4.5

 

Real Madrid's results have not obviously suffered for their ongoing Champions League campaign: Los Blancos have won 7/9 after playing midweek in Europe.

 

Anytime, anywhere, they've won 7/8 in La Liga, but their away form is not quite so conclusive. Mourinho's men have won by two or more only twice in 11 since a Clasico in October. We'd be against them, if only Athletic weren't so eminently capable of imploding - and if only they weren't so short on eligible players.

 

Marcelo Bielsa has four players out suspended and perhaps another five absent injured. He's been tinkering with defensive systems recently and, so long as Xabi Alonso and Ronaldo start, we'll take the away win.

 

Both teams to score also makes some appeal - it's paid out in each of Real's last six Liga games - but looks sharply priced at 1.65.

 

Recommended Bet

Back Real Madrid @ 1.53

 

Real Mallorca v Celta Vigo

Monday 20:00 (Live on Sky Sports 3)

Mallorca 2.14 Celta 4.0 draw 3.6

 

Bottom entertains second-bottom on Monday night. Together they should entertain even the casual viewer.

 

Eight of Mallorca's ten games under Gregorio Manzano, including each of the last six, have gone Over 2.5 Goals and so have five of Celta Vigo's six games since Abel Resino took over.

 

Iago Aspas is still suspended for the visitors, but an odds-against price means we're ready to punt.

 

Recommended Bet

Back Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.06

 

(Source: Betfair)

 

Bet HERE

 

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