There are three La Liga fixtures to look forward to on Tuesday with excitement at both ends of the table.
Two teams firmly in the relegation mix meet at 19:00 as Elche host Alaves, while Barcelona’s title hopes could be all but extinguished if they fail to beat Levante at 21:00.
First up though at 18:00, Cadiz head to Osasuna with both sides safe after decent seasons.
Osasuna Can Regain Winning Feeling
A three-match winless run has seen Osasuna slip to 12 in recent weeks but a victory on Tuesday would see them trade places with 11th-placed Cadiz.
Jagoba Arrasate’s men are the 1/1 favourites in the betting and punters may want to take note that they have only lost twice in the 10 occasions they have found themselves in that situation pre-match.
Los Rojillos have also kept three clean sheets in their last four at home and are unbeaten in the pair’s last 15 meetings.
Cadiz have enjoyed a fine return to the top flight after 14 years away and have been good on the road, currently possessing the seventh-best away record in La Liga.
The Andalusians have netted exactly once in their last eight away games, making them a solid proposition, but Osasuna have won their last two at El Sadar and there is something about the 29/4 on the 2-1 home win that stands out.
Excitement at the Valero
A run of one win in 10 has left Elche 19th in the table, two points and three places adrift of Tuesday’s visitors Alaves.
However, that victory did come at home and their sole defeat in seven at the Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero was a thrilling 1-0 reverse against Atletico Madrid, a fixture in which Fidel missed a stoppage-time penalty.
Fran Escriba’s men could find themselves ruing that result and face an Alaves outfit, who barring a 3-0 derby defeat to Basque rivals Eibar, seem to have got their act together at the right time, with that their only defeat in six.
They drew 2-2 last time out against Levante, former Stoke and Newcastle forward Joselu grabbing a late equaliser and he is 19/10 to net the final goal here.
El Glorioso head south winless on the road in 12 in all competitions since beating Real Madrid in January and lost the reverse fixture 2-0.
That said, Elche’s form is frighteningly bad and there is reason to think that this could end in more frustration for the hosts. The tie is a decent 41/20, with a score draw adding a little extra at 15/4 from what should be a decent affair.
Must Win for Barca
The head-to-head system in La Liga means the title race is anything but simple. As things stand, Atletico Madrid sit top of the table on 77 points with Real Madrid and Barcelona second and third respectively on 75. However, if Atletico were to draw one of their remaining three games and Real to win them all, Los Blancos would take the title.
Where this leaves Barcelona remains to be seen but Ronald Koeman’s side can only take care of themselves and with the Blaugrana 3/1 to finish top, simply have to win Tuesday’s trip to 14th-placed Levante.
MATCHDAY!
@LevanteUD
10pm CEST
@LaLigaEN
Estadi Ciutat de València
#LevanteBarça
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) May 11, 2021
The Blaugrana’s draw with Atleti at the weekend was a frustrating affair and recent visits to the Estadio Ciudad de Valencia have been anything but easy, losing there in both La Liga and the Copa del Rey in 2019.
Levante snapped a four-game losing streak with Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Alaves and need a point from their final three games to ensure their safety, although their head-to-head records against the teams below them are likely to prove enough.
Barcelona have been fabulous on the road over the last five months. Since December, they have won 11 of their 12 away games in the league, their sole blemish being April’s 2-1 defeat at Real Madrid.
That streak feels instructive but it’s also telling that they have conceded in their last four away games and another away win and both teams to score looks handy at 11/10.
Meanwhile, those looking for a goalscorer bet might choose the evergreen Jose Luis Morales. The 33-year-old netted both of Levante’s goals against Alaves and 21/10 screams value for a man in form.
*All odds correct at time of writing