If it wasn’t for Espanyol’s home form, they would be much lower in La Liga’s table, having picked up just a point from six away games. Saturday’s opponents,
Valencia are winless on the road so far this season, averaging just 0.33 points per game. They have failed to score in 67% of their away games, which is never a good sign when you add that they’ve averaged 1.83 goals conceded per game.
Espanyol have won half of their home league games this season, which is just above the league average (47%). They should have enough to increase the pressure on Valencia, who remain rooted at the foot of La Liga.
Villarreal have lost just two of their first 11 matches this season, which explains their fourth-place position. They are one of the league’s entertainers for sure, scoring 20 and conceding 19 in their 11 La Liga fixtures.
In contrast, Alaves concede an average of two goals per game when playing away, while only scoring 1.17 goals per game on average. They have lost four of their last five La Liga games, slipping to just four points above the relegation zone.
In addition, Alaves are used to being behind on the road, spending 40% of their away games trailing in matches. This means an early Villarreal goal could cause significant problems for Alaves on Saturday afternoon.
On Sunday lunchtime, two top-half teams clash as Real Betis host Celta Vigo. Currently, Betis are averaging 2.17 points per game in front of their own fans, while Celta are averaging only 0.60 points per game away from Balaidos. Betis have lost just once at home this season, conceding just 0.67 goals per game on average.
Celta’s defence seems far less secure when playing away from home. They’ve conceded 2.60 goals per game on average, losing 80% of their away fixtures. Despite a narrow home win over Getafe on Monday night, Celta are likely to struggle at Estadio Benito Villamarin.
Third-placed Atletico Madrid travel to Real Mallorca on Sunday afternoon, following their Champions League clash with French champions Paris Saint-Germain. Diego Simeone’s Atletico have tasted defeat just once so far in La Liga, winning six and drawing five. We anticipate their sixth draw is on the horizon this weekend.
Mallorca are difficult to beat on their own pitch. They are averaging 1.50 points per game at home, which is the same points return for Atletico’s away games. Atleti have won their last three meetings with Mallorca, but we think their Champions League exploits may catch up with them. Mallorca will make them work hard for a score draw at Estadi Mallorca Son Moix.
Finding the right superlatives to describe Hansi Flick’s Barcelona is a challenge. With 11 wins in 12 games, they are currently nine points clear of second-placed Real Madrid, although their bitter rivals have played one game less. They head to face a Real Sociedad team sitting mid-table, and averaging just 0.67 points per game in front of their own supporters.
Of their last 34 competitive meetings, Barcelona have won 23 of them, which equates to a win rate of over 67%. The current odds suggest Barca have a win probability of just 55% on Sunday evening. Given Barca’s unstoppable form, it’s hard not to consider 1.80 as value odds in the present situation.
In summary, our La Liga predictions for matchday 13 include a twelfth league win for Barcelona, as well as home wins for Espanyol, Villarreal and Real Betis. We also expect Atletico Madrid to be forced to accept a draw against a Mallorca side that’s solid on home soil.
Make sure you bet on La Liga responsibly by sticking to your staking and loss limits to keep your football betting fun.