Real Madrid vs Valencia
8 January 2000hrs
Football – Spain – La Liga
Pick Under 2.5 goals
Bookmaker Coral
Odds: 27/20 odds taken 2000 GMT, Thursday 6 January
A recent good run has seen Valencia move into contention for the top four but they face a daunting trip to Real Madrid on Saturday as the leaders look to bounce back from defeat.
Table of Contents
Real Madrid Preview – Can Real return to winning ways following defeat in their last league match?
Real Madrid went into the winter break with an eight point lead and looking extremely comfortable in their pursuit of the league title. Even more so that they hadn’t lost a game since the beginning of October in La Liga. Now, just a week into 2022 and it is not as straightforward as they once thought. Carlo Ancelotti’s men were surprise losers away to Getafe last weekend, coupled with Sevilla winning and they are just five clear have also played a game more than their rivals.
Real had to survive a scare in the Copa del Rey in midweek as well, eventually overcoming lower league Alcoyano 3-1.
Now, it’s all about league points and maintaining their advantage at the top at the very least. Real are still yet to lose a league games at the Bernabeu this season, their last domestic defeat at home was nearly a year ago when losing 2-1 against Levante. They’ve won six and drawn three so far this season, conceding only five goals in the process. Surprise package Rayo Vallecano are the only team to have conceded less.
Karim Benzema rightly gets most of the plaudits for what is another brilliant return but he is been ably supported by Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian is on 10 in the league and 12 in all competitions.
Valencia Preview – Do Valencia have the quality to make it six straight away wins in all competitions?
After five years at Getafe, Jose Bordalas took charge of Valencia and he looks to found improvement in a squad of players who were just meandering along last season. Los Che finished in 13th place last season but they begin this calendar year in ninth place and just four points outside the top four which would bring with it Champions League qualification.
It is looking an extremely competitive battle for the top four, however, with every team down to 11th place Espanyol looking like they are in with a realistic shout.
Don’t miss out on other Betting Tips & Predictions 
Click here for more Betting Tips
It was that team who ended Valencia’s good run of form. A 2-1 defeat at home was not the start to the year they would have been hoping for. It was the first loss since the October and ended a run of five straight wins in all competitions. Valencia also made it through in the cup following a 4-3 win away to Levante.
How damaging that defeat to Espanyol was remains to be seen but it does come before a run of really difficult games where they face four of the current top seven including first and second. If Valencia are still in contention for top four after these then they will be very confident of a strong second half to the season.
Real Madrid vs Valencia Betting Advice
Any further dropped points for Real Madrid here would provide Sevilla and perhaps some of the other teams hope that the title race still has a way to go. Valencia, although coming in off the back of a league defeat, have shown they are capable but they tend to come undone against the top teams in La Liga so this will be another test of their own credentials.
Their record at the Bernabeu leaves a lot to be desired, however. Their last win here was back in 2008.
Key Facts – Real Madrid vs Valencia Betting Tip
- Real Madrid hold a five point lead at top of La Liga having lost first time out in 2022
- Valencia have taken seven points from their last three away games in the league
- The last time Valencia defeated Real Madrid at the Bernabeu was back in 2008
Real will just want to win this game regardless of the performance. With fiver of their last six league games having two or fewer goals I’m expecting this to be a low-scoring game so back under 2.5 goals.
Best Betting Odds for Real Madrid vs Valencia
