Meringues To Put Mattressmen’s Title Bid To Bed

The Madrid derby is set up for Real to effectively end the Spanish Primera Division title challenge of Atletico and it the Meringues who are worth backing at odds of 2.25 with Coral to derive maximum points from the marquee match.

Cristiano Ronaldo is back on deck for Real Madrid as it sets out to avenge its shock 0-1 loss to Atletico Madrid in the reverse Spanish Primera Division fixture in September. And there is no better time for Ronaldo to return to the Spanish Primera Division fold – he played in the recent Spanish Copa del Rey games between the neighbours – than on Saturday.

It is worth reflecting on those Spanish Copa del Rey matches for a little while. Real Madrid thrashed Atletico Madrid 3-0 in the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, leaving Diego Simeone’s Mattressmen with no choice other than to go for broke in the Vicente Calderon second leg. Real, with Gareth Bale and Ronaldo to the fore, put the tie out of reach in the first 16 minutes. First Ronaldo scored from open play and then he converted a penalty kick for Real’s second goal.

Atletico Madrid is three points behind Real Madrid on the Spanish Primera Division ladder with 13 rounds remaining. That sounds like a lot of matches but the Spanish Primera Division big guns do not drop points frequently and Real Madrid’s toughest game after Saturday is its home date against Barcelona in the latest edition of El Clasico.

Real Madrid is flying compared to Atletico Madrid – the Meringues have won 15 and drawn one of their last 16 matches across all competitions, whereas the Mattressmen have blown their Spanish Primera Division title chance by losing 0-2 at Almeria and 0-3 at Osasuna in recent weeks – and the game sets up as being played to suit Carlo Ancelotti’s team.

The other two Spanish Primera Division bets in the 26th round are punts on under two and a half goals in the matches between Levante and Osasuna and Getafe and Espanyol.

Levante and Osasuna managed one goal between them when they met in Pamplona five months ago and it took until the 88th minute for Levante to break the deadlock and secure three away points. One expects a similarly low-scoring game when they reunite in Valencia for their Spanish Primera Division mid-table scrap, with Levante ninth and Osasuna 12th.

The Spanish Primera Division is a high-scoring competition but fans of Levante and Osasuna would be forgiven for not believing so. Levante’s 25 Spanish Primera Division matches have featured an average of 2.20 goals and 15 of its games have gone under two and a half goals. Osasuna’s 25 Spanish Primera Division matches have featured an average of 2.44 goals and 11 of its games have gone under two and a half goals. Factor in the Spanish Primera Division reverse fixture and one has a bet. Under two and a half goals is trading at odds of 1.57 with BetVictor.

Neither Getafe nor Espanyol is worth getting out of bed to watch, either. Getafe’s 25 Spanish Primera Division matches have produced an average of 2.52 goals and 16 of its games have gone under two and a half goals, including its 2-0 road victory over Espanyol earlier this season. Espanyol’s 25 Spanish Primera Division matches have produced an average of 2.44 goals and 12 of its games have gone under two and a half goals. All things considered, one ought to be interested in the odds of 1.62 that BetVictor and Ladbrokes are offering about the under-two-and-a-half-goals option.