It’s been nearly three months since we last spoke about Spanish football, and now La Liga is back in full swing, with two exciting fixtures coming up on Sunday.
Racing Santander will play a top-flight match at El Sardinero for the first time in over 14 years, with their first test coming against last season’s third-placed side, Villarreal. In the late kick-off, we’ll see two of the teams that battled against relegation right until the very end of last season – Espanyol and Levante.
Below, you’ll find our expert tips and predictions for each of Sunday’s La Liga matches.
Today’s La Liga betting tips & predictions
Racing Santander vs. Villarreal (4pm)
Racing Santander won La Liga 2 convincingly last season and will certainly be pleased to be kicking off at home, given the 20 goals they scored in their last five home matches.
However, there is another factor to consider: the team failed to impress during pre-season, having played four La Liga sides without securing a single victory.
Villarreal look to be in much better form, apart from a few minor defensive lapses, and following their phenomenal season, they’ll be keen to get off to the best possible start against the league’s newcomers.
We mustn’t forget that last season it was Racing Santander who knocked Villarreal out of the Copa del Rey, so I don’t think it will be an easy ride for the Yellow Submarine after all. I expect BTTS and an away win, which also means at least three goals.
Racing Santander vs. Villarreal top betting tip: BTTS, Villarreal to win
Espanyol vs. Levante (6pm)
Espanyol and Levante both finished last season on a similarly strong note, and will be looking to build on that at the start of the new one.
Their pre-season preparations have shown a bit of everything, so it’s difficult to say which team will be in better form. Their last meeting ended in a dull 0–0 draw, but these are two sides who usually put on a good show against each other.
Seven of their last 10 head-to-head matches have seen goals at both ends. Both teams will be keen to secure a win in the opening round, so I reckon BTTS is the best option here too.
Espanyol vs. Levante top betting tip: BTTS
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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