La Liga Matchday 17 Odds: Barcelona and Madrid in Midweek Action
Supercopa de España Participants Meet in La Liga
Barcelona and Real Madrid in Midweek Action
A few weeks ago, Barcelona took home the Supercopa de España title by defeating Real Madrid 1-0 in the final. Valencia and Real Betis were also semifinalists, by way of the Copa del Rey. The tournament took place at the same time as La Liga Matchday 17, so now all four teams are making up their matches. Both Barcelona and Real Madrid will be in midweek action as they take on Real Betis and Valencia, respectively. We’ll review the relevant La Liga Matchday 17 odds from both of this week’s matches.
Matches
Real Betis vs Barcelona
Date & Time:
Both Real Betis and Barcelona picked up narrow 1-0 wins on Saturday. Betis knocked on the door for the majority of the second half at Getafe and finally won a late penalty. Borja Iglesias stepped up and converted to give Betis their ninth win of the season. Meanwhile, Pedri scored the game’s only goal vs. Girona as Barcelona got a third straight La Liga win. Girona had their fair share of chances but Barça held on. With Robert Lewandowski finally back from a three-game suspension, Barcelona are one-goal road favorites vs. Betis. Barcelona, who are still on top of the Spanish La Liga standings, sit at +110 odds to cover and -160 odds to win the match.
Meanwhile, Real Betis +1 comes in at -130 odds and Los Verdiblancos show +425 odds to win the match. Betis have kept things close in this fixture recently. Each of the last four meetings vs. Barcelona, in all competitions, has been decided by a goal or ended in a draw. In the semifinals of the Supercopa de España, in January, it took penalties for Barcelona to knock out Betis. Real Betis also defeated Barcelona 1-0 at the Camp Nou last season. However, they haven’t managed a home win over Barcelona since 2008. A draw displays +320 odds for the match.
In a major blow for Barcelona, Ousmane Dembele is set to miss six weeks of action with a thigh injury he suffered on Saturday. Barça do get fellow attacker Ferran Torres back from suspension in time for this one but Dembele’s production will be hard to replace. The French winger has scored five goals and provided five assists in La Liga this season. Still, La Liga Matchday 17 odds list over 2½ goals at -125 odds.Betis have won just two of their last five La Liga matches but they’ll certainly be up for this one.
Real Madrid vs Valencia
Date & Time:
Following a scoreless draw vs. Real Sociedad, Real Madrid find themselves five points behind Barcelona. Vinícius Jr. had some excellent chances on Sunday but Sociedad goalkeeper Alex Remiro denied him on multiple occasions. Real are set to have a busy fixture schedule in February with the Club World Cup and Champions League. So, they could certainly use the points while things aren’t as hectic. Los Blancos do enter this match with as one-goal favorites, according to the La Liga Matchday 17 odds. These teams met in the Supercopa semifinals and it took penalties for Real to knock off Gennaro Gattuso’s Valencia.
There’s a bit of bad blood between Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti and Gattuso. They enjoyed a lot of success at AC Milan in 2000s when Gattuso was a player and Ancelotti managed him but recent events have changed things. Gattuso replaced Ancelotti as manager at Napoli in 2019 and their “personal problems” stem from that period. In any case, Gattuso is on the hot seat and a result would certainly help his chances of keeping his job.
Valencia +1 comes in at just +115 odds, though and they show just +550 odds to win the match. Meanwhile, a draw displays +375 odds.
Valencia lost four times in January, in all competitions, and they’re winless in La Liga since November. Their road form has been abysmal this season and they’ve only won one road La Liga match so far. Valencia have also failed to win at the Santiago Bernabeu since 2008. Real Madrid -1 comes in at -135 odds and Los Blancos sit at -215 odds to win the match. They could get David Alaba and Aurelien Tchouaméni back from injury in time for this one as well. Real are short on defenders, with Ferland Mendy also out. With a 5-3-0 record, Real Madrid are unbeaten at home this season. They’ve averaged two goals per game at home but under three for the match shows -120 La Liga betting odds.
Follow us on Twitter
