Real Madrid travel to strugglers Real Valladolid as they hope to continue their pursuit of runaway LA Liga leaders and capital rivals Atletico Madrid. Both teams are on opposite paths this season with Valladolid fighting for survival while Real are looking to keep up their chase for the title.
After suffering some inconsistency lately, Real Madrid’s title charge looks to be back on track following their 2-0 victory over Valencia last time out. It was a solid performance from Los Blancos as they climbed to second on the table.
It was the third straight victory and fourth in the last five matches for Real, who appear to have turned a corner.
Zinedine Zidane’s men will hope to maintain this good form if they are to catch Atletico Madrid, while also looking over their shoulder to hold off a rejuvenated Barcelona.
Key to their recent upturn in form has been a tightness at the back which has seen them keep clean sheets in their last two matches. Striker Karim Benzema is also slowly returning to his best having found the net in his last two appearances.
Real Valladolid's problems are much different from Madrid’s as they are currently fighting for their top flight survival.
They are deep in relegation trouble and sit 18th on the table having claimed just four wins in 23 matches this season.
Sergio Gonzalez's men have failed to win in their last six matches and will need a serious turn around in fortunes if they are to beat the drop this season. They have also failed to make their home matches count with four defeats in their last five outings at the Estadio Municipal Jose Zorilla.
What the bookies say
The bookies have Real Madrid as the firm favourites for the win on Saturday with novibet offering 14/25 for an away win. Real Valladolid’s poor home form means they are outsiders at 33/5 with SBK, who are also offering 7/2 for a draw.
Given their impressive run of results lately, I am backing Real Madrid to secure their fourth straight victory on Saturday.
Head to head
Real Madrid have been the dominant team in this fixture with 24 wins from 39 previous meetings. Real Valladolid have only emerged victorious four times while the remaining 11 matches have ended in stalemates.
Real triumphed 1-0 in the reverse fixture back in December while you would have to go back to 2008 for the last time Valladolid claimed a victory over the reigning Spanish Champions.
Player to watch
Karim Benzema remains the shining light for Real Madrid this season with 12 La Liga goals. Having found the net in his last two matches, Unibet is offering 49/50 for the striker to score at anytime.
Real Valladolid have struggled for goals lately but will look to Shon Weissman to provide the fire power in attack. With just three goals this season, the striker is valued at 18/5 with Unibet in the anytime goalscorer market.
Anything else catch the eye?
Real Madrid’s recent defensive solidity means a clean sheet for the away side could be worth a punt. Los Blancos are backed at 8/5 with Sporting Index to secure a win to nil.
Karim Benzema fine form in recent weeks has seen him grab the first goal in his last two appearances. Unibet is backing the striker to do it again on Saturday at odds of 13/4.
The goals market could also be considered with Real Valladolid producing over 3.5 goals in their last three home matches. A similar outcome is valued at 2/1 with SBK, who are also offering 13/16 for over 2.5 goals.
This La Liga match between Real Valladolid and Real Madrid will be played on Feb 20, 2021 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Real Valladolid vs Real Madrid prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
