The Spanish La Liga goes on this weekend with the Round 12 matches, and some exciting games wait for us on Sunday, November 19th, 2017, when Las Palmas hosts Levante at Estadio Gran Canaria, while Athletic Bilbao welcomes Villarreal at San Mames in one of the derby clashes of Round 12.
In this preview, we’ll take a closer look at these two games, so don’t waste your time, and check out our betting tips and predictions like always here on GetMoreSports.
LAS PALMAS vs. LEVANTE
3-Way: 1: Las Palmas +100; X: +275 Draw; 2: Levante +355 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -0.5: Las Palmas +100; Levante +106
Total +2.5: Over -105; Under +108
LAS PALMAS
La UD’s agony goes on, as they suffered the seventh consecutive defeat in the previous round against Real Madrid at Santiago Bernabeu, 3:0. It could be a lot worse, but Los Blancos were missing chances all night long, and Las Palmas’ keeper Raul Lizoain was the luckiest man on the earth for those 90 minutes. On the other side, La UD took just three shots on Real Madrid’s goal, and it was the worst performance we saw this year at Santiago Bernabeu.
After the first 11 rounds of the Spanish La Liga, Las Palmas is in the 19th spot of the table with six points, an 8:28 goal difference, and a 2-0-9 record. Their defense is the worst in the league, and in the previous five matches, they conceded 18 goals! On the other side, their attack looked pretty solid at the start of the season, but in the last five weeks, everything falls apart. Even their best player, the 28-year old attacking midfielder Jonathan Viera, has suffered an injury, and he’ll be out for at least a week. Viera made three assists in ten apps, adding a goal to his name, but he also created 29 scoring chances for his teammates.The 30-year old striker Loic Remy, who arrived from Chelsea on a free transfer, is a leading scorer with four goals in six matches, and he also had a lot of injury problems this season.
The manager Pako Ayestaran will miss three important players for the next match against Levante, as Alen Halilovic (malleolar injury), Oussama Tannane (tear in abductor muscle), and Jonathan Viera (hamstring injury) are all sidelined.
LEVANTE
The Frogs are without a win in the last six La Liga games, and after the first 11 rounds they are laying at the 14th spot of the table with 12 points, a 12:15 goal difference, and a 2-6-3 record. At home, they were solid with a 2-3-2 record and a 9:8 goal difference, while on the road they earned just one point out of four matches with a 3:7 goal difference. In the previous round, The Frogs lost at home to Girona, 2:1, and it was probably their worst performance since the start of the campaign.
The 22-year old talented Macedonian midfielder Enis Bardhi and a 30-year old winger Jose Luis Morales are the team’s leading scorers with four goals each, while Morales is the top assistant with two dishes in nine apps, along with the winger Ivi. The Frogs created 80 scoring chances so far, and only Alaves created fewer. Their shot accuracy is also pretty bad (38%), but they somehow managed to score 12 goals in 11 games. On the other end, they recorded 36 defensive actions per game, winning 43% of aerial duels, and just 34% of tackles.
The manager Juan Muniz is certainly unhappy with his team’s form recently, and he’s still without the striker Roger Marti (ruptured cruciate ligament), while the right-back Ivan Lopez and the striker Alex Alegria are both sidelined from the same reason. The 23-year old defensive midfielder Jefferson Lerma will miss the next game due to a yellow card suspension.
LAS PALMAS vs. LEVANTE – Match Prediction
When two sides with a such a poor form are taking on each other, anything is possible. For bookies, Las Palmas is a favorite in this clash, and the home team desperately needs to end up a losing string. The question is, will they win or it will be a draw?
MY PICK: A Draw (+275)
ATHLETIC BILBAO vs. VILLARREAL
3-Way: 1: Athletic Bilbao +133; X: +246 Draw; 2: Villarreal +275 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -0.5: Athletic Bilbao +125; Villarreal -128
Total +2.5: Over +120; Under -123
ATHLETIC BILBAO
The Lions are a huge disappointment so far, as they are in the 15th place of the La Liga table after the first 11 rounds with 11 points, an 11:15 goal difference, and a form of LLLWL. In the previous round, they suffered the third consecutive defeat, this time against Celta Vigo on the road, 3:1. Their defense was ridiculous in the first half when they conceded all three goals. The Lions just couldn’t deal with Celta’s crosses and through balls, while Iago Aspas was elusive for Athletic Bilbao’s defenders.
The 36-year old striker Aritz Aduriz is a team’s top scorer with four goals in 11 appearances, but he missed so many chances in the last couple of weeks, and against Celta Vigo he failed to find the net even he had two great opportunities. The 23-year old winger Inaki Williams added two goals and three dishes to his name in 11 games this season, but the fans are expecting more from him, and he’s showing signs of selfishness recently. The Lions created 96 scoring chances so far, and it seems like their poor finishing is the biggest problem in the final third.
The manager Jose Angel Ziganda is still without Iker Muniain (cruciate ligament rupture), and Oscar de Marcos (sprained ankle), while Benat Etxebaria (knee injury) and Enric Saborit (wound) are both doubtful for the next game.
VILLARREAL
The Yellow Submarine is in a great form recently with four wins and one draw in the last five La Liga matches, including a convincing 2:0 victory over Malaga at home in the previous round of the Spanish La Liga. After the first 11 rounds, Villarreal is sitting at the fifth spot of the La Liga table with 20 points, an 18:11 goal difference, and a 6-2-3 record. At home, they earned 13 points out of five games with a magnificent 12:1 goal difference, while on the road they recorded two wins, one draw, and three losses with a 6:10 goal difference.
The 26-year old striker Cedric Bakambu is having a tremendous season so far with eight goals in 10 La Liga appearances, while Nicola Sansone and Carlos Bacca added three goals each. The 22-year old talented winger Samu Castillejo is the team’s top assistant with four dishes in nine apps, and the 21-year old midfielder Pablo Fornals, who arrived from Malaga this summer, added three assists to his name. Villarreal’s players created 108 scoring chances, and only five teams created more in the first 11 matches.
The manager Javier Calleja cannot count on two goalkeepers (Andres Fernandez and Sergio Asenjo) since the start of the season due to a cruciate ligament rupture, while the biggest issue is the absence of Samu Castillejo, who’s still suffering from a muscle injury.
ATHLETIC BILBAO vs. VILLARREAL – Match Prediction
Villarreal is in the much better form than Athletic Bilbao, but I expect to see a great battle, especially when The Lions are playing in front of the home fans. Their best game lately was against Barca at home, and I believe they will score against Villarreal. On the other side, the visitors are so dangerous in the final third, and maybe we’ll see a draw at San Mames.
MY PICK: Both Teams to Score YES (-110)
ADDITIONAL PICK: A Draw (+246)
