You might be surprised to find out that the team with the least losses in La Liga this year is not Barcelona or Real Madrid, but Atletico Madrid. Atletico Madrid has lost just one match this season, yet their style of play has them third in the La Liga standings and three points behind Barcelona. Atletico have finished with a draw in seven of their 15 matches this season, and while that’s enough to put a team in contention for the Champions League, it’s not enough to win La Liga. They will look to get the full three points this time around against Real Valladolid.
Don't miss the Spanish La Liga action from Estadio Jose Zorrilla in Valladolid, Spain at 10:15 a.m. ET on Saturday, December 15, 2018. Catch every moment of the match live on beIN Sports.
Spanish La Liga Betting at BookMaker.eu
Valladolid +466
Atletico Madrid -135
Draw +233
Over/Under 2
Odds Analysis
Real Valladolid have performed very well for new owner Ronaldo after a five-year absence from La Liga. They are currently in 12th place and if they finished there, that would be their best performance in Spain’s top league in almost two decades. More importantly, the yo-yoing club seems like they have achieved a measure of stability and it’s unlikely they will be relegated this year. They are six points ahead of 18th place Athletic Bilbao, and they are coming off of a nice 2-1 road win over Real Sociedad last weekend.
In Champions League action on Tuesday, Atletico’s love of ties cost them. Atletico settled for a 0-0 draw against Club Brugge and that will likely mean a much tougher draw for the club than they would have had if they won the group over Borussia Dortmund. The club has also settled for draws in two of their last three La Liga matches, and although fans won’t be disappointed with a tie against league leaders Barcelona, a draw against Girona put them further back of the Blaugrana. Atletico were able to get a 3-0 win over Alaves last weekend though.
Injury Report
Javi Moyano is doubtful to play in this match for Real Valladolid, and he has been out for the past month with a thigh injury. Luismi Sanchez is a doubt as well after suffering an ankle injury last week, but the club looks ready to welcome back Mohammed Salisu.
The big news for Atletico Madrid is the loss of Diego Costa. Costa had done a great job of getting the gritty goals and paired well with Antoine Griezmann up top, but he is out for the next two months after undergoing surgery on one of his toes. Kevin Gameiro and Jose Maria Gimenez are considered questionable to play because of injuries, while Juanfran and Filipe Luis are listed as probable.
Player to Watch
Antoine Griezmann is seen as one of the top forwards in the world. He finished third in the voting for the Ballon d’Or this year, and he was a major part of France’s World Cup winning team. However, he has somewhat fallen off the pace in terms of his goalscoring in La Liga. Griezmann has just four goals in 15 domestic matches. While he has five assists, the team needs more production from him if they are to win the league.
La Liga Prop Bet – Atletico Madrid to win to nil +137
I don’t see Valladolid scoring in this match. They have scored just 13 goals over the course of the season, which is one of the lowest totals in Spain, and they are facing the best defensive team in La Liga. They play a similar style to Atletico with their focus on defense, yet Atletico do it much better and have much more talent.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
There won’t be a lot of scoring in this one, but I see Atletico Madrid doing enough to pull out a close victory.
Spanish La Liga Odds: Atletico Madrid 1, Real Valladolid 0
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