Real Madrid vs Valencia
Valencia brought the fight to Real Madrid the last time they met, as Los Che held Los Blancos to a 1-1 draw in regulation. They eventually fell short during the penalty shootout in their Spanish Super Cup semi-finals tie.
But because La Liga matches don’t have penalty shootouts, they can get something out of Real Madrid if they achieve the same result (in regulation) on Thursday.
In the Spanish top-flight, Los Che are not doing so well since they’re only one point adrift from the relegation zone. They have 20 points to tie with Espanyol, Celta Vigo, and Valladolid, although they’re in 14th place because of their superior goal difference.
Los Blancos, meanwhile, are second with 42 points, and they need to win this game badly in order to catch up with El Clasico rivals Barcelona.
Talking Points
Crucial stretch for Real Madrid
Real Madrid were held to a goalless draw against Real Sociedad. As a result, they’re now five points behind table leaders Barcelona.
Karim Benzema was not quite at his best against Real Sociedad, but he should be back on the scoresheet against Valencia. He won’t have any shortage of partners up front, with Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior in good form.
Vinicius Junior is currently leading Los Blancos in scoring with 10 goals and four assists this season.
Carlo Ancelotti is hoping that Dani Carvajal, David Alaba, and Aurelien Tchouameni are all 100-per cent fit after they missed the game last Sunday due to injuries.
If all of them are still out on Thursday, Ancelotti is likely to maintain almost the same starting XI, with Luka Modric reclaiming his starting spot to reunite with Toni Kroos and Fede Valverde in midfield.
It’s going to be a busy month of February for Los Blancos, as after this match against Valencia, they’ll be competing in four games in 14 days before their much-awaited Champions League tie against Liverpool.
Their next three La Liga games are against teams in the bottom half of the table, so this is a good opportunity for them to reclaim the top spot in the La Liga table, especially since Barcelona have a tougher schedule.
More instability for Valencia
Gennaro Gattuso was relieved of his managerial duties following a poor run of La Liga 2023 results. He leaves the Mestalla after just seven months in charge.
With him at the helm, Los Che have lost eight of their 18 games. He initially signed a two-year deal when he was hired last summer.
Now that he’s gone, Valencia are looking for their fifth manager in less than three years. But in the meantime, Voro Gonzalez will be the interim manager of the team.
Valencia are an inexperienced bunch, which is a huge reason why they’re unable to close out games. They could’ve secured a point on Sunday if they hadn’t conceded a late goal from Valladolid’s Cyle Larin.
Apart from Samu Castillejo and Edinson Cavani, Valencia’s starting XI is made up mostly of players 25 or under, so there will be growing pains for caretaker coach Voro Gonzalez.
History
Valencia pushed Real Madrid to the limit during their Spanish Super Cup semi-finals tie. Karim Benzema initially gave Los Blancos the lead before the end of the first half, but Samuel Lino replied right after the half-time break.
When the penalty shootout was at 3-3, Thibaut Courtois saved Jose Gaya’s poor spot-kick to give Real Mad rid the victory.
Real Madrid have won their last three La Liga games against Valencia. They’ve had a longer winning streak against them in the competition in the 21st century, in a stretch between 2009 and 2011 (five straight).
Furthermore, Real Madrid haven’t lost in any of their last 14 home games against Valencia (W9, D5), and they’ve yet to lose in any of their previous 15 games played on a Thursday (W13, D2).
Betting Tip
Real Madrid are likely to win on Thursday, according to the updated SBOTOP La Liga 2023 odds. The defending La Liga champions are listed at 2.07, whereas Valencia are installed at 4.70, and a draw is priced at 4.60 in the 1X2 market.
It’ll be hard for Valencia to replicate the same result as last time since they’re bereft of confidence right now. Carlo Ancelotti’s men, just like in the Spanish Super Cup, should be able to navigate their way past Valencia to claim three more points. For alternatives, you can go for either Total Goals 2-3 @ 2.06 or Over 2.75 @ 1.81.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT))
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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