Oddshark
The second round of Spain’s new La Liga season gets underway this weekend and one side most certainly looking to impress will be Atletico Madrid. The club from the capital have been widely tipped as the main challengers to Barcelona and Real Madrid at the top of the table, and they welcome Rayo Vallecano to the Wanda Metropolitano this coming Saturday (25 August).
First things first
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Atletico Madrid drew 1-1 at the Mestalla last Monday night with Valencia and will be looking for three points when Rayo Vallecano come to town. Ray were thrashed 4-1 by Sevilla in their first game and things re unlikely to get any easier against Atletico.
This is expected to be a season of struggle for Vallecano having just been promoted from the second division. They are at just 2.10 to be relegated straight back down through that trap door with only Huesca (t 1.80) finding themselves at shorter odds.
And Atletico come in as the red hot favourites to take all three points without so much as breaking sweat. The home side are at just 1.16 to get their first league victory of the campaign, with Rayo all the way out at 21.00 to cause a shock – this is more likely to be about how many Atletico score.
A comprehensive 3-0 win for Atletico is priced at 6.00, meaning that a US$5 bet would lead to a US$30 pay out. Meanwhile, you can back over 2.5 goals in the game at 1.57, according to Oddsshark.
Barcelona look to build momentum
Having managed a comprehensive 3-0 win over Alaves last time out, thanks in no small part to a brace from Lionnel Messi, defending champions Barcelona travel to Valladolid looking to build up a run of steam. Valladolid were held to a goalless draw by Girona in their first game and the prospect of facing the champions, who lost just one league game last season, cannot be a pleasant one.
Just like Rayo Vallecano, Real Valladolid have come up from the second tier and are also at short odds to go straight back down. You can almost triple your money, at 2.75, by backing Valladolid to suffer the ignominy of relegation.
Believe it or not, they won the last meeting between these two sides back in the 2013/14 season, although in this case lightning is unlikely to strike twice. Barcelona are the clear favourites, at a price of 1.16, to make it two wins from two, while Valladolid find themselves at 17.00 to pull off another surprise victory.
A comfortable 2-0 win for the Catalans ir priced competitively at 6.50. And Messi, who got two last week, is at 2.50 to score two or more goals in this game.
Sevilla have found their rhythm early
Playing in the early rounds of Europa League qualification would appear to have done Sevilla the world of good. The side hit the ground running in the first week, thrashing Rayo Vallecano 4-1, and they now host Villarreal this Sunday looking for another three points as they apply pressure at the top of the table.
Villarreal, meanwhile, lost their first game at the season, 2-1 t home to Real Sociedad. It was a surprise setback for the Yellow Submarine who must now look to get off the mark on the road.
Sevilla, however, have turned their Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan home into something of a fortress. They lost just three games on their own turf last season and will be expecting to continue their excellent record there over the coming months.
And it is Sevilla who come into this game as the favourites to maintain their 100 per cent record. The side coached by Pablo Machin are at just 1.72 to take all three points, with Villarreal out at 4.33 to get their first win of the season – a draw is priced only slightly lower, at 4.20.
However, this game is unlikely to be s one sided as Sevilla’s opener, and a 2-1 win of the home side is priced at 8.00. Over 2.5 goals in the game, and both teams to score, are both at 1.70.
La Liga round 2 fixtures:
Friday, 24 August
(2.00) Getafe x Eibar (4.20); draw (3.30)
(3.20) Leganes x Real Sociedad (2.30); draw (3.25)
Saturday, 25 August
(2.62) Alaves x Real Betis (2.75); draw (3.25)
(1.16) Atletico Madrid x Rayo Vallecano (21.00); draw (7.00)
(17.00) Valladolid x Barcelona (1.16); draw (7.50)
Sunday, 26 August
(3.20) Espanyol x Valencia (2.37); draw (3.20)
(1.72) Sevilla x Villarreal (4.33); draw (4.20)
(8.50) Girona x Real Madrid (1.33); draw (5.50)
