Spain has had plenty of time to celebrate the holidays and the new year. La Liga took a three-week break starting in mid-December, and that gave players, coaches, and fans alike time to rest and spend time thinking on something other than football. Now, after three weeks off, we are set to reach the halfway point of the season, and two of the top teams in Spain will clash when Sevilla hosts Atletico Madrid. Atletico are currently second in the table and just three points behind Barcelona, while Sevilla are third and two points behind Atletico.
Don't miss the Spanish La Liga action from Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan in Sevilla, Spain at 10:15 a.m. ET on Sunday, January 6, 2019. Catch every moment of the match live on beIN Sports.
Spanish La Liga Betting at BookMaker.eu
Sevilla +180
Atletico Madrid +167
Draw +205
Over/Under 2 and 2.5
Odds Analysis
It’s been a very nice year for Sevilla after a nearly disastrous 2017-18 campaign. They were leading the league for a short bit before falling behind Barcelona, and they have managed to stay relatively close to the league leaders despite their loss at the Camp Nou in mid-October. Sevilla are unbeaten in their last eight La Liga matches, and they have allowed just five goals during this stretch. However, they haven’t been able to score as much as they hoped, so half of those results ended in draws.
Atletico Madrid know this plight all too well. Atletico have lost just one match all year, and they have allowed the least goals (12) in La Liga. However, their seven draws have kept them from closing the gap on Barcelona, and they know they must start grabbing three points in their matches. Atletico have opened things up more in recent weeks, and they have won each of their last three games.
Injury Report
Midfield Maxime Gonalons continues to be out for Sevilla after suffering a broken ankle in mid-November, and the club may not have two of its best defenders available for this tilt as well. Simon Kjaer and Aleix Vidal are both dealing with hamstring injuries and they are questionable.
Forward Diego Costa is out for at least one more month, and Atletico are unlikely to have Jose Maria Gimenez available as well. Midfielder Thomas Lemar is questionable with an Achilles issue, and defenders Filipe Luis and Lucas Hernandez are questionable too.
Player to Watch
Andre Silva has not been as sharp as he was when he first came to Sevilla this summer. Silva set the league ablaze with a hat trick in his debut against Rayo Vallecano, and he had seven goals through his first seven La Liga matches. However, he has found the back of the net just one in Sevilla’s last nine games, and the offense has stalled out as a result. It’s going to be tough for him to break out of his slump against the best defense in Spain.
La Liga Prop Bet – Will both teams score? No -121
These teams both rely on their back lines, and there should not be many quality scoring opportunities here. Sevilla have seen just one of their last eight matches end with more than two goals, while Atletico Madrid have claimed a clean sheet in seven matches this year. Neither side will be too committed on the attack, and the first goal is likely to be decisive.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
Although this game is in Sevilla, I am going to back Atletico Madrid to win to nil. Atletico have one of the best forwards in the world in Antoine Griezmann, and he would be a terror in any other system in the world. He is asked to create chances without much help at Atletico, and he does the deed quite well. Griezmann will make his mark.
Spanish La Liga Odds: Atletico Madrid 1, Sevilla 0
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