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5 bold La Liga predictions: Real Betis find scoring touch

By Benjamin Barkworth

GETAFE, SPAIN - OCTOBER 28: Hector Junior of Real Betis Balompie in action during the La Liga match between Getafe CF and Real Betis Balompie at Coliseum Alfonso Perez on October 28, 2018 in Getafe, Spain. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
GETAFE, SPAIN - OCTOBER 28: Hector Junior of Real Betis Balompie in action during the La Liga match between Getafe CF and Real Betis Balompie at Coliseum Alfonso Perez on October 28, 2018 in Getafe, Spain. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images) /
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Real Madrid face Vallodolid in Santiago Solari’s first league game in the highlight of the Liga weekend. Here are five predictions for all the action.

Barcelona kept their place at the top of La Liga after a 5-1 destruction of Real Madrid last weekend, while Alaves are still in second after scoring a last-minute winner against Villarreal. Espanyol and Valladolid both dropped points as they drew with each other, and Sevilla and Atletico Madrid took advantage to keep up pressure on the top two.

Real Madrid are all the way down in ninth place and are already seven points off the top while Betis, Valencia and Villarreal are all still struggling in the bottom half. Levante and Getafe are threatening for the European places as they’ve started to hit form, so the league continues to surprise. Here are five bold predictions for the weekend’s action.

BILBAO, SPAIN – OCTOBER 27: Valencia CF line up for a team photo prior to the La Liga match between Athletic Club and Valencia CF at San Mames Stadium on October 27, 2018 in Bilbao, Spain. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)
BILBAO, SPAIN – OCTOBER 27: Valencia CF line up for a team photo prior to the La Liga match between Athletic Club and Valencia CF at San Mames Stadium on October 27, 2018 in Bilbao, Spain. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images) /

5. Valencia continue remarkable run of draws

Los Che have drawn eight of their 10 league games this season as Marcelino’s rigid system fails to produce the form that took them to fourth place last year. His insistence on playing three central midfielders in a 4-4-2 shape limits their creativity and natural width in order to make them hard to break down. Recent injuries to Goncalo Guedes and Denis Cheryshev have compounded that issue.

Summer signings Kevin Gameiro and Michy Batshuayi have been unable to replace Simone Zaza’s presence in the team while Guedes and Rodrigo have struggled to match last season’s form. Batshuayi, in particular, struggles to process situations quickly, which can lead to him holding on to the ball longer than he should and undermining the attack. Valencia were so effective last season because their transitions were lightning quick and clinical as the players operated in sync.

On the weekend, they play Girona, who are unbeaten away from home, although three of those four games were draws. In those matches, they’ve only conceded three goals, while Valencia have scored four and conceded four at the Mestalla, where they’re yet to win. Therefore, another draw seems a likely outcome, even though it’s unusual for a team to have such a large percentage of their games end in stalemates.

Marcelino has certainly turned Valencia in the right direction during his tenure. Even so, with the team in 14th place and the team playing uninspired soccer, something needs to change soon.

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