League leaders Barcelona travel to take on Leganes in La Liga on Saturday afternoon, with the Spanish giants looking to extend their lead at the top of the table. Ernesto Valverde’s men are the firm favourites for victory, however the home side are likely to be high motivated given their recent poor results.
Spanish La Liga – Estadio Municipal de Butarque, Madrid – Saturday 18th November – 14:15 UK Time
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Draw Best Odd of: 9/2 at Ladbrokes |
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Leganes
FC BarcelonaMatch Preview
Leganes face off against Barcelona in the Spanish top-flight on Saturday afternoon, with the home side looking to cause an upset as they take on Lionel Messi and Co. Despite sitting comfortably in mid-table, Leganes are looking to return to form after a poor set of results over recent weeks, with Barcelona certainly more than aware of the job ahead of them this weekend. The visitors can apply the pressure on the likes of Valencia and Real Madrid with a win, which would see them extend their lead at the top to seven points, albeit it potentially only for a matter hours. With games involving Barcelona always attracting a wide range of interest from betting punters, let’s take a closer look at the two teams, as well as some predictions ahead of kick-off.
Leganes Team News & Form
Leganes have lost their last two La Liga matches, leaving them in 9th position in the standings. Manager Asier Garitano has seen his side score just nine goals all season, however the fact that they have conceded just eight at the other end demonstrates where their qualities as a team lie. Former Liverpool man Nail El Zhar could well line up for the home side, alongside the likes of Nordin Amrabat and Captain Martin Montovani.
Barcelona Team News & Form
Having won 10 of their 11 La Liga matches at the start of the season, Barcelona will be looking to maintain their unbeaten run when they travel to Leganes. Superstar Lionel Messi has 12 La Liga goals to his name already, with the Argentine superstar set to line up for the visitors despite having been in international duty in Russia this past week. Elsewhere, Luis Suarez could well start alongside Messi despite not having reached his top form so far this season, with Paco Alcacer also hoping for more minutes up front. Valverde could well mix things up elsewhere however, with the likes of Nelson Semedo and Andre Gomes pushing for starts.
Head to Head
The two teams have met just twice in the past, with Barcelona having on both occasions. Barcelona recorded an impressive 5-1 win away from home last season, before running out 2-1 winners at the Camp Nou back in February.
Betting Odds and Predictions
It comes as little surprise that Barcelona are the overwhelming favourites for victory with the majority of major online bookmakers, with the Spanish giants available at best odds of 1/3 with Skybet. Meanwhile, those looking to back a surprise win for Leganes can get a price of 9/1 with William Hill.
Top Betting Tip
However, our top betting tip for the match is to bet on there being over 2.5 goals during the 90 minutes between Leganes and Barcelona, which is available at odds of 8/13 with Ladbrokes.