Deportivo Alaves vs Barcelona
Estadio de Mendizzoroza, Vitoria-Gastiez
Sunday, 19-07-2020 @6pm
A 94th-minute strike from Osasuna’s Roberto Torres condemned Barcelona to a 2-1 defeat last time out and confirmed Real Madrid as La Liga winners for the first time since 2017.
Quique Setien’s men have been a touch rusty since the restart, before which they were top of the standings, and although they will be disheartened, they can finish the season with maximum points against Alaves.
That defeat to Osasuna was Barcelona’s only loss in their last 11 matches – before that they were last beaten by Real Madrid in March’s El Clasico clash at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Results on the road have been considered Barcelona’s Achilles heel in La Liga this term but they still sit third in the division’s away table, taking 29 points from their 18 matches away from the Camp Nou.
They have had minimal trouble dispatching the league’s lesser lights since the restart, claiming the scalps of Mallorca, Leganes, Espanyol and Real Valladolid and they were moments away from beating Celta Vigo at Balaidos, only for Iago Aspas to net an equaliser in the 88th minute, making the score 2-2.
Barcelona have also tightened recently, keeping clean sheets in two of their last three matches and a shrewd match prediction could be a Barcelona win to nil.
Both teams have scored in only four of the Catalan club’s previous 13 matches and they are coming up against an Alaves side who have been fairly blunt in attack all season.
Villarreal vs Eibar
Estadio de la Ceramica, Villarreal
Sunday, 19-07-2020 @7:30pm
Villarreal lost 2-1 at Real Madrid on Thursday evening and will be looking to make an immediate return to winning ways on Sunday.
Eibar ran out 3-1 winners over Valladolid and sit 13th in the table heading into the final game of the season and can’t finish any higher even with a win this weekend.
Over 2.5 goals have been scored in four of the last seven meetings between these two clubs, as well as in each of Villarreal’s last four outings in La Liga.
This season 67% of Villarreal’s home matches have produced over 2.5 goals, so i am expecting at least three goals to be scored on Sunday.
Real Valladolid vs Real Betis
Estadio Municipal Jose Zorilla, Valladolid
Sunday, 19-07-2020 @7:30pm
Valladolid lost 3-1 away at Eibar on Thursday and have nothing left to play for heading into the final game of the season.
Betis suffered a 2-1 defeat at home to Alaves and, like Valladolid, they have nothing to play for but will be hoping to finish the campaign on a positive note.
Valladolid have played out 15 draws in La Liga this season and ten of those stalemates have come at home where the hosts have won four and lost four of their 18 matches.
Betis have drawn 11 of their 37 league games, playing out more stalemates than wins so far, and seven have arrived on the road.
Atletico Madrid vs Real Sociedad
Estadio Wanda Metropolitano, Madrid
Sunday, 19-07-2020 @10pm
Atletico claimed a crucial 3pts in their hunt for a top-three finish as they won 2-0 away at Getafe on Thursday but can’t afford to lose on the final day of the season as Sevilla are just 2pts behind them in fourth.
Real Sociedad did Atletico a huge favour by holding Sevilla to a goalless draw last time out and a win this weekend could see the visitors finish in the top-five.
When these two sides locked horns for their reverse league fixture in September second-half goals from Ødegaard and Monreal proved enough for Real Sociedad to claim all 3pts in front of their home faithful.
However, Atletico Madrid head into the final game of the season as the clear form favourites having gone unbeaten in their last 15 matches and are the favourites to win.
Espanyol vs Celta Vigo
RCDE Stadium, Barcelona
Sunday, 19-07-2020 @10pm
Espanyol only have one game left to end their losing streak following Thursday’s 1-0 defeat at Valencia and even though they are already relegated, the hosts will want to end the season with a home win.
Celta Vigo lost 3-2 at home to Levante and sit a point above the relegation zone heading into Sunday’s clash, where only a win will confirm their La Liga status for another season.
Under 2.5 goals have been produced in four of their last seven meetings between these two clubs, as well as in five of Espanyol’s last six league games.
61% of Espanyol’s home matches and 56% of Celta Vigo’s away trips this season have seen under 2.5 goals scored, so i am expecting a low-scoring affair on Sunday.
Granada vs Athletic Bilbao
Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes, Granada
Sunday, 19-07-2020 @10pm
Granada claimed a 2-1 win away at Mallorca which saw the home side relegated to the Segunda Division, while Athletic Bilbao lost 2-0 at home to a Leganes side that are battling for their La Liga status.
Granada claimed a 2-1 win over Atheltic Bilbao when the pair last met in March for the 2nd leg of their Copa del Ray tie, but Yuri’s late goal for the visitors proved enough for Bilbao to progress via the away goals rule.
Both teams have scored in four of the last six meetings between Granada and Athletic Bilbao, as well as in five of the hosts last six outings in the Primeira Liga.
50% of the hosts’ home matches and 61% of the visitors’ away trips this season have seen both teams score, so i am predicting goals in this game for both clubs.
Leganes vs Real Madrid
Estadio Municipal de Burtaque, Leganes
Sunday, 19-07-2020 @10pm
Real Madrid won their first La Liga title since 2017 on Thursday after beating Villarreal the same night that Barcelona lost 2-1 at home to Osasuna.
Zinedine Zidane’s men have taken 86 points from their 37 league assignments and travel to relegation-threatened Leganes on the final day of the season.
The incentive is with the Cucumber Growers, who can secure their top-flight status for another season should they beat Real Madrid and Celta Vigo fail to beat Espanyol.
But even though Real Madrid have little to play for in their final game, Zidane will be eager for his side to extend their ten-match winning run in La Liga as they look to their Champions League last 16 second leg with Manchester City next month.
Levante vs Getafe
Estadio Camilo Cano, La Nucia
Sunday, 19-07-2020 @10pm
Seventh place in La Liga will be good enough to secure a place in next season’s Europa League and a win for Getafe away to Levante will seal the deal for Jose Bordalas’s side.
It’s a tight race – seventh-placed Getafe are only one point above Valencia and Granada – but with the stakes high expect the extra motivation to prove pivotal in the outcome of the result.
Getafe have played 25 matches against teams below them in La Liga and have lost just once which is a remarkable run of results. It also helps to explain why they have been on a poor run of five without a win considering recent fixtures have been against top-five opponents Atletico Madrid, champions Real Madrid and Villarreal.
Draws have been holding Getafe back with six in the last 11 but they recorded a fine 2-1 success over Real Sociedad late last month and three of their away wins at bottom-half clubs.
Osasuna vs Real Mallorca
Estadio El Sadar, Irunea
Sunday, 19-07-2020 @10pm
Osasuna shocked La Liga with a 2-1 win at Barcelona on Thursday night but it wasn’t a result that arrived completely out of the blue as Los Rojillos have been in decent form of late.
There is a chance that Osasuna could take their foot off the gas in their last league match of the campaign but despite the fact they have lost heavily at home to Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, there seems little chance that Mallorca will offer the same level of threat.
Two victories in their last ten matches is little for the Islanders to get carried away with and their away record of 15 defeats from 18 matches is equally off-putting, not to mention the fact that Mallorca are already relegated and have nothing to play for on Sunday.
Sevilla vs Valencia
Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, Seville
Sunday, 19-07-2020 @10pm
Sevilla slipped behind Atletico in the race for 3rd-place following Thursday’s goalless draw at Real Sociedad, while Valencia claimed a 1-0 win at home to Espanyol to keep their hopes of a top-6 finish alive heading into the last game of the campaign.
When these two clubs clash in October for their reverse league fixture the points were shared after Ocampos put Sevilla in front in first-half stoppage time only for Sobrino to equalise 9-minutes from time.
The hosts head into the latest encounter between the two clubs as the clear form favourites having won four and drawn two of their last six matches, as Valencia have lost three times, drawn once and won twice during that same period.
