La Liga leaders Real Madrid’s title charge will be under scrutiny this weekend when they make the arduous trip to Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.
Zinedine Zidane’s men are four points clear at the top of the table, but they face a potential banana skin this weekend.
Real extended their winning run to six matches on Thursday night, with Getafe beaten 1-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Los Blancos have now kept three clean sheets in a row, but will face a test of their title credentials as Bilbao have only lost one of their last seven games.
Los Leones’ form at the San Mames has always been impressive, and this season is no different. They have lost just three matches at home all season, winning nine, although Madrid still look a good bet at odds of 5/7
*, boasting the best away record in the division with nine victories and just three defeats on the road.
Mallorca Set to Struggle, Again
The first game in the Spanish top flight for this weekend’s round of matches takes place on Friday night when Atletico Madrid host Mallorca.
While Atletico are sitting pretty in third, Mallorca remain in the relegation zone, and they are now six points from safety.
Diego Simeone’s side have not lost in their last 13 matches, and Mallorca’s lack of firepower should mean Atletico win to nil, available at odds of 4/5
.
Relegation Teams Under the Spotlight on Saturday
Saturday’s action sees four teams fighting for their top-flight status face off, with Celta Vigo hosting Real Betis and Real Valladolid hosting Deportivo Alaves.
Granada also take on Valencia, and the former are 19/10
to win their second game in succession.
Race for Europe Hots Up
As well as Real’s meeting with Bilbao, there are three other matches to look forward to on Sunday.
Bottom-club Espanyol host 19th-placed Leganes, while Osasuna will look to capitalise on Getafe’s stuttering form.
Getafe may be sixth in La Liga, but they have won just one of their last five games and Osasuna are as big as 39/20
to grab all three points.
Sunday’s fixtures conclude at 21:00, and it could be worth the wait as Villarreal prepare to do battle with Barcelona.
Barca need a win to keep alive their hopes of winning the title, while the Yellow Submarine are fifth and still have their sights on the top three.
Both teams to score is well worth considering and punters can get 4/7
for both sides to find the back of the net.
Monday Double-Header
La Liga’s fixtures don’t stop there though, with two games to come on Monday evening.
At 18:30, Levante will welcome Real Sociedad in Valencia, with the latter still harbouring hopes of a European finish.
Despite their lofty position of seventh, Sociedad are 27/20
to win on their travels after a tough return to action, ending a four-game losing streak last time out to struggling Espanyol at home.
The final contest of the weekend sees Sevilla face Eibar, with the away side needing the points to stay clear of the drop zone.
However, Juan Lopetegui’s troops are fourth in the table, looking to secure a return to Champions League football, and are unbeaten in 13 games.
Sevilla have also only lost twice at home all season and look good for the win, priced at 53/20
to win both halves.
*All odds correct at time of writing.