La Liga action heats up this weekend in round 25 as Real Madrid look to maintain their two-point gap at the summit.
Madrid demolished Real Sociedad 4-1 in their last outing to take them up to 60 points from 24 games. They are two points ahead of their eternal rivals Barcelona, who were upset 2-1 by Girona in the last round.
Alvaro Arbeloa’s charges seem to be on course to clinch a record-extending 37th title but still need to maintain their winning run to hold off the challenge.
Villarreal round up the top three with 48 points, with Atletico Madrid and Betis the other two teams in the top five.
Mallorca, Levante and Oviedo remain the bottom three sides in the division as they continue to fight to avoid relegation. All three teams have tricky away fixtures this weekend, all needing to avoid defeat if they are to keep their hopes of survival alive.
Here we have a look at some of the top games lined up this weekend. We feature the current form and offer our predicted outcome.
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Real Sociedad vs Oviedo – Saturday, 4PM
Sociedad’s 4-1 loss to Real Madrid ended an 11-match unbeaten run, and are now desperate to turn things around in this home tie. The defeat leaves them in eighth place with 31 points after 24 games.
They welcome the bottom side in La Liga, who have played a game less but have a dismal 16 points. Oviedo lost 2-1 to Bilbao in their last outing, meaning they have won once in their last 17 games.
Oviedo were 1-0 winners in the reverse fixture, one of their three wins all season. Sociedad have the advantage in their recent head-to-head encounters, winning three of the last five games against Oviedo.
Prediction – Real Sociedad to win – CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME!
Betis vs Rayo Vallecano – Saturday, 6:15PM
Betis continue their pursuit of the top four with a home clash against a struggling Vallecano, who are in 17th place just a point above the relegation zone.
Vallecano rallied to cause a huge upset last week with a 3-0 thrashing of Atletico Madrid, their second win in their last five games.
Betis on the other hand are seeking a fourth consecutive league win to reduce the point difference between them and third place Atletico. They were 2-1 winners away at Mallorca in their last outing.
The last three head-to-head matches between these two teams have resulted in draws, most recently a 0-0 stalemate in the reverse fixture last December.
Prediction – Betis to win – CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME!
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Osasuna vs Real Madrid – Saturday, 8:30PM
Osasuna are currently enjoying their best run in the La Liga season and are hoping it’s enough to stun the league leaders. The hosts are in 10th place with 30 points.
The hosts are unbeaten in their last five La Liga games – winning three times. Their most recent match resulted in a barren draw away at Elche.
There is no team on a better run of form than Madrid in the Spanish top flight – winning their last seven consecutive games. They have also scored 19 goals in that run.
Madrid have won four of the last five games against Osasuna, with only one resulting in a stalemate. Kylian Mbappe scored from the spot in Madrid’s 1-0 win against Osasuna earlier in the season.
The French forward is the Liga’s top scorer with 23 goals and will be key in the visitors attack here.
Prediction – Real Madrid to win – CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME!
Atletico Madrid vs Espanyol – Saturday, 11PM
Two teams struggling to find a rhythm in their form will lock horns in the last La Liga match scheduled for Saturday. Atletico have lost grip on the title race in recent weeks, leaving them in fourth place with 45 points.
Espanyol have lost four of their last five La Liga games, snapping that terrible run with a 2-2 draw against Celta Vigo last time out. They are in sixth place with 35 points.
Espanyol will find confidence in the fact that they have not lost to Atletico in their last five head-to-head encounters, most recently winning 2-1 in the reverse fixture last August. The remaining four have resulted in stalemates.
Atletico are desperate to return to winning ways after losing Vallecano 3-0 in their last La Liga game, before being held in a 3-3 draw by Club Brugge in the first leg of their Champions League knockout playoff.
Prediction – Atletico Madrid to win – CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME!
Barcelona vs Levante – Sunday, 6:15PM
Barcelona are coming off back-to-back defeats that has seen them dislodged from the number one position. A 4-0 defeat to Atletico in the Copa del Rey was followed up by a 2-1 loss at Girona last weekend.
Barca are in second place with 58 points, a staggering 40 points ahead of Levante who are second from the bottom.
Levante need a miracle to avoid a fourth consecutive defeat here, if they are to stand any chance of avoiding relegation this season. Their recent defeat was a 1-0 loss to Villarreal in their last outing.
Barca have won four of the last five games against Levante, a 3-3 draw in 2021 being the only time the visitors got a point against Barcelona.
Prediction – Barcelona to win – CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME!
