Leganes v Barcelona Betting Preview – La Liga 18th November 3.15pm
Barcelona have responded to last season’s disappointments and the summer loss of Neymar in pretty emphatic fashion. They have a commanding lead at the top of La Liga and there should be another three points available to them on the weekend as well. Leganes are a great defensive side but they aren’t an attacking threat, and they have just lost back to back league games so momentum has gone ahead of this tough test.
Leganes v Barcelona Betting Tips
It has been a decent season from Leganes who are in mid table in the Spanish top flight. They have picked up some notable results and their biggest one was a 0-0 home draw against Atletico Madrid back at the end of September. Leganes have collected seven clean sheets in their eleven league games this season and their entire season has built off of that rock solid defence. They don’t have a lot of attacking threat in them. However, that defence went a bit south just before the international break as they shipped five goals in defeats at Sevilla and Valencia, both of those being top six sides. At the Estadio Municipal de Butarque this term, which only holds around 11,000 supporters Leganes are W2 D2 L1, the loss coming against Getafe back early in the season. They are currently running on a three match undefeated streak of form on home soil. They have only scored the three goals at home this season while conceding just the two. Under 2.5 goals at bet365 is a price of 6/5 and that will be banking on the home defence staying strong.
To their credit, Leganes have only been behind at half time in one fixture at home this season in the top flight and they have picked up four clean sheets in five. It’s an impressive defensive record whichever way you look at it. They are currently seven points better off than they were at this stage of last season’s La Liga campaign, so there have been a lot of positives from them. Just one of their home fixtures have gone over 2.5 goals and actually, only Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have conceded fewer goals than they have done this season. Will they be able to repel Barcelona’s power attack though? Barcelona are steaming along still with just two points dropped all season and they edged out Sevilla just before the international break at the Nou Camp and will go on to face Valencia in a huge clash after this one.
Barcelona are W4 D1 in their five away games this season in La Liga And they have collected three clean sheets in those matches, shipping just the two goals on their travels. Barcelona to win to nil at bet365 is a price of 11/10 and looks decent value considering that their defence probably isn’t going to come under a great deal of pressure. In the bet365 correct score market, a Barcelona 2-0 is the shortest priced option with a 1-0 for them coming in at a price of 6/1. Lionel Messi is the 15/8 first goalscorer favourite for the game and he is on twelve league goals for the season. After netting a crucial brace in their win over Sevilla last time out, Paco Alcacer is a good 20/21 anytime goalscorer option for the game. Barcelona may well have to exert a bit of patience to get their rewards in this away game, and they will have one eye on meeting Juventus in the Champions League in midweek. Barca won both meetings with Leganes last season and did concede in each, but look much stronger at the back this season.
Leganes v Barcelona Betting Odds
Barcelona 2/7, Draw 9/2, Leganes 17/2
Leganes v Barcelona Predictions
Barcelona have the quality and confidence to get through this with three points in the bag. The game may well go under 2.5 goals though because of the defence that Leganes have at their disposal and Barcelona will want to save something for their midweek clash with Juventus.
