The Madrid Derby between Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid, which will take place at the Bernabeu on Saturday night, will be the main event of Matchday 23. However, there are also a number of other high-profile games happening this weekend, including another significant test for Valencia CF, which is in danger of being relegated as the season winds down.
Let’s take a closer look at a couple of spots I’m on for this weekend’s La Liga card.
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La Liga Matchday 25 Preview & Best Bets (2023)
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Villareal vs. Betis
Villarreal enters this game on a strong run of two straight wins. But prior to this run, the team had had a run of four losses that made club history because it had been years since they had lost so many games in a row in La Liga.
There is no denying that Villarreal has to improve their goal-scoring since they have only scored 28 goals in their last 24 games.
Betis understands that their chances of qualifying for the upcoming Champions League are greater than ever. Manuel Pellegrini’s team needs to take advantage of Real Sociedad’s free fall in order to land a blow on the competition and move up to the fourth place. Only three points separate them from Real Sociedad at the moment, and given the level, the Basques have been playing at lately, they will probably pass them in a few matchdays.
In the end, however, Villareal’s talent reigns supreme.
Pick: Villareal (-115)
Athletic Bilbao vs. Barcelona
This Sunday night’s meeting between two of La Liga’s top clubs will be a thrilling finale to the weekend.
Because they have suffered two losses and a tie in their last three games, Ernesto Valverde’s Bilbao team enters this matchday with the solid belief that they will get back to winning ways. Athletic Bilbao presently has a record of nine victories, six draws, and nine losses, and has dropped to ninth position in the standings following what was a hot start to the year.
Athletic Bilbao’s offense has been reliable all season, scoring 33 goals in 24 games, but it’s their defense, however, that has fallen short as they have allowed 26 goals in the same time frame. Despite this, Athletic is only four points behind Villarreal in sixth place in the overall La Liga standings, and a win here would go a long way.
On the other side, we have FC Barcelona, who are the undisputed leaders of the standings and strong favorites to win the La Liga championship in the upcoming 2022€“2023 season. Barca is the best-performing team in the Spanish domestic league once again, and they continue to show that each and every week.
Real Madrid and Barcelona are separated by nine points, and it will be very challenging to close this gap. With only eight goals allowed in 24 games, FC Barcelona has continued to display an exceptional defensive ability. I like for them to keep that streak going Sunday.
Pick: Barcelona (+110)
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