THE first El Clasico of the season between Barcelona and Real Madrid kicks off at 5pm and I'm approaching it the same way I did Newcastle v Liverpool last weekend.
I looked at the stats and predicted a goalfest with my over 3.5 goals prediction coming up with the 2-2 draw.
Picking a winner between these two star-studded sides is never but again over 3.5 goals – this time at 11-8 with boylesports – should give you a run for your money.
Both teams have scored in the last 11 meetings between the pair and a repeat is no bigger than 8-15 at boylesports. In the last 13 encounters there have been 43 goals.
It's often tagged as a battle between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo but big summer signings Neymar and Gareth Bale may want to question that.
Messi and Ronaldo have both netted in four of the last six meetings, according to oddschecker. The Argentine is 8-11 (Coral) to net and 3-1 (various) to score first with Ronaldo 5-4 (Betfred) and 5-1 (bet365).
Brazilian Neymar is 7-4 to net at anytime while Bale is 4-1 but the Welshman, who came on against Juventus in midweek, is unlikely to start with Angel Di Maria keeping him out.
Real have netted on their last four trip to the Nou Camp so there is a bit of value in Ronaldo at 5-1.
To win the contest Barca are hot favourites at 17-20 with Stan James and Real 7-2 at McBookie.com and William Hill – but I'd favour a draw at 14-5 (various) – and make over 2.5 goals and over 3.5 goals your main bets.
I've also doing an anytime scorer Trixie on Diego Costa, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Bayer Leverkusen's Stefan Kiessling.
The German was credited with the “phantom goal” that beat Hoffenheim last week but hit a real double in the 4-0 Champions League win against Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday.
Bayer have won six of their seven home games this season (the other was a draw with Bayern Munich) and should easily dispose of struggling Augsburg today. They are 8-15 at McBookie.com and should cover the minus one handicap at 6-4 with boylesports – and that's my Super Single for the day.
Kiessling and fellow hotshot Sidney Sam can run riot. To score Kiessling is 1-1 at bet365 and Sam 15-8 – and I'll be doing singles on both.
Ibrahimovic is the man of the moment after his four-goal show for PSG at Anderlecht and more than one commentator has branded him the best in the world. Certainly a couple of goals were Messiesque and it will be a travesty if he isn't on the plane to Rio in the summer.
The super Swede is 11-10 with McBookie.com to net at any time away to St Etienne on Sunday and after 10 goals in five games for club and country he could be the best-backed player of the weekend.
Costa only managed two in the Champions League last week as Atletico won 3-0 away to Austria Vienna.
Atletico should get back to winning ways in La Liga at home to Real Betis on Sunday and Costa can be on the scoresheet.
Recommended Bets
Barca v Real over 3.5 goals (5pm)
(11-8, boylesports)
Ronaldo to score first
(7-1, bet365)
Anytime scorer Trixie
Ibrahimovic (Sun, 8pm)
Kiessling (2.30pm)
Costa (Sun, 8pm)
Perm any 2 and all 3 (4 bets)
Treble pays 7-1 at bet365
In December 2020 we sadly 
Of the last 5 EL CLASICO meetings at Camp Nou Barcelona have won only once,in a 3-2 victory on 23rd Aug ’12 Spain – Supercup,in fact they haven’t beat Madrid in last 5 meetings home or away with Madrid winning last 2.Last couple of games with Messi injured or not match fit Barce have looked very lackluster as was evident in their 0-0 bore draw with Osasuna seven days ago,given the above information I cant ignore the value in backing Madrid +1 @ evens.
Im sorry but Ronaldo to score first is not 7/1
Messi and ronaldo to both score at 5/2 looks a good shout. As you mentioned they’ve both scored in 4 of the last 6 games
You can get Ronaldo at 5/1 on Skybet, you can also bet on both Ronaldo and Messi scoring at 5/2.
Definitely worth a few pieces of eight
Barcelona v Real Madrid To Be Shown A Card
All hot heads
Sergio Ramos EVENS @ Skybet & Betvictor
Arbeloa 5/4 @ Betvictor
Pepe 5/4 @ Betvictor
Sami Khedira 9/4 @ Betvictor
lol can be sure if Arbeloa played it would have been 4 out of 4 the 3 that got booked could all have been sent off also with other silly tackles through out the game HOT HEADS RIGHT ENOUGH
Dan interesting it’s all Madrid players mate. An you could not count out one of them getting sent off
Bale to score @ anytime 6/1 @Ladbrokes
Worth a punt?
Heard he was fit to play..
Bale starts, Getting excited about this now. I’m waiting on a draw to keep ma £1 14fold going, left out man utd too wi Leverkusen dortmund bayern arsenal liverpool up wi draw el classico and levante left for today
Mr F. I am in dispute with a large bookmaker at the moment as I backed Manchester United when they were behind 0-1. It seems there was a glitch in the site. Would you pleas. Be able to find out the average price Manchester United went out to after stokes opener.
This would be massively appreciated.
Kind regards.
Chris
Chris, I’d imagine they’d have been about evens but maybe someone who backed them at 1-0 down could tell you.
Just checked out my account i got Man U @ evn’s at 24mins past 3… hope that helps…
4/5 mate and went out to a biggest 9-1 in about 78/79 mins wen they were 2-1 dwn
i backed Man U at evs when they were 1-0 down i took them with Leverkusen when there game was 1-1 cant tell you the time of the man u game but it was about the 70th min of the Leverkusen game if you can work it out from that…
Thanks all.
Seems there was a big glitch on sky bet then. They had the home win down as 11/4. Which I backed and the draw at 4/5.
Seems the prices where the wrong way round.
Although I clicked on the section for the home win stating price was 11/4 my bet was settled as a draw on my slip.
Yet the live play screen appeared as follows.
Win 11/4. Draw 4/5. Win?
Can’t remember what stoke were priced.
I clicked the left choice. Entered my stake yet my settled bet slip reads. Draw @ 11/4.
Any advice On how to raise this issue with them as their site was so misleading.
Chris, only way to raise with them is by chat or email. It looks like they’ve just missed a mistake. As I said I’d have guessed about evens and that’s been confirmed. 11-4 would be way too big.
Indeed it seemed large. That’s why I took it, but on United’s recent form and been behind I took it as great value. I had 3/1 for them last year when they went 1-0 down. Iv emailed them. As it was clearly their error. and it stated home win where I selected the price, what outcome should push for?
Chris, they’re covered for errors and only need to pay you at what price should have been. See if they’ll compensate with a free bet.
What if the bet was down would they automatically refund the stake as it was their mistake, as the bet wouldn’t have been placed in the 1st place at 4/5 or evn’s it was the fact Chris thought the 11/4 was a value punt that he had a bet on it.. in my opinion you should accept the evn’s or 4/5 and try get a free bet out of it..
your settled bet says you backed the draw at 11/4. Looks much more likely that you accidentally backed the draw rather than skybet having the wrong odds up and also getting your selection wrong on the bet receipt.
Craig. I hear what your saying. I never checked my bet slip until after it had been settled and I never got paid out. As I said above the in play screen was as follows.
Win 11/4 – draw 4/5 – win 11/8.
I took it on face value.
They clearly had their links in the wrong order at that point in time. I emailed them twice at 5 pm when I realised what had happened. I have not heard back from them since so I am hoping I am not the only person in this position and they are looking into their error
Skybet have paid out at 4/5.
Now. On to today’s
Anyone fancy a draw in the north east Derby.