Barcelona are aiming to close the gap on Real Madrid this season, but that is easier said than done with Kylian Mbappe joining Los Blancos. Atletico Madrid have also spent lavishly ahead of the campaign. We’ve broken down the 1x2 markets in Spain to locate the value for the weekend and all of those teams are included.
Our predictions for La Liga matchday 1
- (16/08/2024) - Las Palmas vs Sevilla: Sevilla to win @ 2.518 on 1xBet, indicating a 42% chance for an away win.
- (17/08/2024) - Valencia vs Barcelona: Barcelona to win @ 1.788 on 1xBet, indicating a 58% chance for Hansi Flick’s side to win.
- (18/08/2024) - Real Sociedad vs Rayo Vallecano: Draw @ 3.905 on 1xBet, indicating a 28% chance for both teams to earn a point.
- (18/08/2024) - Mallorca vs Real Madrid: Real Madrid to win @ 1.542 on 1xBet, indicating a 65% chance of the Champions starting their defence with a win.
- (19/08/2024) - Villarreal vs Atletico Madrid: Atletico Madrid to win @ 2.18 on 1xBet, indicating a 48% chance for the visitors to emerge victorious.
Sevilla’s Away Record to Improve: Las Palmas vs Sevilla
- Date: 16/08/2024
- Kick-off : 20:30
- Sevilla to beat Las Palmas at @2.518 on 1xBet correct as of 14/08/24
Garcia Pimienta moved to Sevilla after keeping Las Palmas in the top tier of Spanish football. He will now face his former club in his first game at his new club. Sevilla won just four away games in La Liga last season, but one of those was against Las Palmas. Pimienta’s style is also suited to having better midfielders, so he should do reasonably well.
Las Palmas have lost their last eight matches against Sevilla. They have scored just two goals on that poor run that dates back to 2016. They’ve lost some key players in the summer window and that doesn’t bode well for their opener.
Hansi Flick to Make a Fast Start: Valencia vs Barcelona
- Date: 17/08/2024
- Kick-off : 20:30
- Barcelona to win @1.788 on 1xBet correct as of 14/08/24
Barcelona chose to part ways with Xavi in favour of appointing Hansi Flick as the new boss. The Catalans were off the pace in the title race last season and were dumped out of the Champions League.
The former Bayern manager knows the pressure is on immediately, so expect Barcelona to win here. Pre-season has yielded a mixed bag of results, but they have faced tough opposition. The Blaugrana have beaten both Real Madrid and Manchester City, so they’ll fancy their chances in their opener. Valencia haven’t beaten Barcelona since January 2020, a run that spans eight matches. They have lost seven of those games and conceded an average of 2.11 goals.
All Square in the Basque Country: Real Sociedad vs Rayo Vallecano
- Date: 18/08/2024
- Kick-off : 18:00
- The match to end all square @3.905 on 1xBet correct as of 14/08/24
Real Sociedad finished 6th in La Liga last season, but they were a whopping 16 points behind 4th. Their poor home form proved costly. They managed just eight wins in 19 league games at the Reale Arena. Sociedad scored just 0.32 more goals than they conceded in that run of games.
Both of the meetings between these sides last season ended in a draw. We can back another one here at odds of 3.60, which implies a probability of 28%. However, 32% of Sociedad’s home games ended in a draw last season.
Madrid to Continue Majestic Run: Mallorca vs Real Madrid
- Date: 18/08/2024
- Kick-off : 20:30
- Real Madrid to pick up three points @1.542 on 1xBet correct as of 14/08/24
Real Madrid finished 10 points clear at the top of La Liga last season, with the title never truly in question. Los Blancos haven’t lost a competitive fixture in 90 minutes since September. In the 48 matches since, they have scored 1.52 more goals per game than their opponents. If that record wasn’t menacing enough, they have also brought in Kylian Mbappe.
Mallorca put up a fight against Real last season, but ultimately lost both head-to-heads 1-0. They struggled to create anything in this fixture, managing just two shots on target.
Atletico’s Attack Spells Danger: Villarreal vs Atletico Madrid
- Date: 18/08/2024
- Kick-off : 20:30
- Atletico Madrid to beat Villarreal once more @2.18 on 1xBet correct as of 14/08/24
Atletico Madrid struggled in terms of xG last season, but the acquisitions of Alexander Sorloth and Julian Alvarez should make them contenders. Diego Simeone’s side scored the fourth most goals in La Liga last season, with an average of 1.84 per game, but they will surely be more lethal this term.
They’ve scored 12 goals across their four pre-season matches and impressed in their recent win over Juventus. That’s bad news for Villarreal, who shipped five goals and lost both of their matches against Atletico. The Yellow Submarine lost seven matches at home.
Conclusion
Spain’s big two will expect Atletico Madrid to close the gap. All of them picking up three points this weekend could set the tone for what promises to be an enthralling season in La Liga. Real Sociedad and Sevilla have work to do when they face tricky opponents this weekend. Please gamble responsibly as we prepare for another busy season in Spain.