Following an exceptionally successful week for the Spanish giants in Europe, we return to La Liga, where this weekend promises some outstanding clashes.
Atletico Madrid will kick off Saturday’s fixtures with an away match against Espanyol, ahead of the big clash of the day between the other two teams in the current top three, Real Betis and Barcelona.
Check out our expert tips and predictions for all La Liga matches below.
Today’s La Liga betting tips & predictions
Espanyol vs. Atletico Madrid (1pm)
Atletico Madrid's form has been impressive, with Tuesday’s Champions League victory over Manchester United marking their fifth consecutive win across all competitions.
Espanyol are still struggling to find their form and consistency, going into this match on the back of three consecutive games without a win. Worse still, all three were against teams at the bottom of the table.
Atletico Madrid certainly won’t be 100 per cent fresh, but they remain by far the better side. Indeed, they haven’t won at this stadium since 2021, but they won’t get a better chance to change that than in this match.
Espanyol vs. Atletico Madrid top betting tip: Atletico Madrid Over 1.5 goals
Villarreal vs. Elche (3:15pm)
Having recorded their worst start to a season in 15 years, Villarreal seem to be finally heading in the right direction, having secured three wins in their last four matches across all competitions.
This week’s 3-1 victory over Napoli was a strong statement of intent and served as a reminder that they are a very strong side at home. Elche are scoring quite a few goals for a team at the bottom of the table, but their defence has conceded the second-highest number of goals.
I expect Villarreal to capitalise on this and secure another home win, and I expect to see at least three goals.
Villarreal vs. Elche top betting tip: Villarreal to win, Over 2.5 goals
Real Betis vs. Barcelona (5:30pm)
In one of the weekend’s standout fixtures, Real Betis face the ultimate test in Spanish football at the moment – Barcelona.
Following yet another impressive comeback against Porto, Real Betis have now recorded eight wins in 10 matches across all competitions this season and go into this fixture with their tied best start to a season. The goals are flowing for them, but the same can be said of Barcelona, who have scored 34 goals in 8 La Liga rounds and at least 3+ in each of their last eight matches.
Equally important is the fact that their defence has conceded in almost every match, which is key for Real Betis. The minimum I expect here is four goals.
Real Betis vs. Barcelona top betting tip: Over 3.5 goals
Valencia vs. Athletic Bilbao (8:00pm)
The rebuild at Valencia has not gone to plan so far, with the team having secured just one win in eight matches this season. There is a glimmer of hope when it comes to the goals they have scored in their last three matches, but their defence is in a sorry state.
Athletic Bilbao haven’t played a full competitive match for nearly a month, as their last two were postponed and abandoned. On paper, they should be fully rested and ready to give their all.
We’ve seen a significant improvement from them following their poor start to the season, and I think it’s reasonable to expect them to get the better of Valencia.
Valencia vs. Athletic Bilbao top betting tip: Athletic Bilbao to win
Vladislav has been professionally engaged in freelance journalism for seven years and has worked with numerous leading sports publications. A football and martial arts fanatic, he spent years training in both disciplines before turning to writing.
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