Real Madrid host Malaga in the Spanish top flight, knowing that they must return to winning ways if they are to have any hope of catching title favourites Barcelona. Zinedine Zidane’s men have struggled throughout the campaign, however they are still the firm favourites to claim three points on Saturday evening, with the visitors sitting in the bottom three at present.
Spanish La Liga – Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid – Saturday 25th November – 15:15 UK Time
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Draw Best Odd of: 13 at PaddyPower |
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Real Madrid
Málaga CFMatch Preview
Real Madrid will be going all out for three points when they take on Malaga this weekend, with the reigning La Liga champions sitting ten points behind league leaders Barcelona ahead of kick-off. However, with their opponents having won two of their last three La Liga encounters, the away side will be heading to Madrid in the hope of pulling off a surprise result. For those still unsure of who to back at the Santiago Bernabeu, be sure to check out our top betting tip below. However, let’s first take a closer look at the two teams, starting with the home side.
Real Madrid Team News & Form
A draw against city rivals Atletico Madrid last time around means that Real head into their clash with Malaga 10 points behind Barcelona in the standings, with Zidane’s men having won just seven of their opening 12 matches. With the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema also struggling for goals domestically, the duo will be hoping to pick up where they left off in their Champions League tie in Cyprus on Tuesday night. The duo both scored in a 6-0 win, ensuring their place in the latter stages of the competition. Gareth Bale is still absent for the home side, while Sergio Ramos Sergio Ramos should return to the starting line-up following his injury last week.
Malaga Team News & Form
Despite having defeated Deportivo La Coruna last time around, Malaga remain in the relegation zone ahead of kick off this Saturday, with the pressure on manager Michel to start delivering. On-loan Swansea City man Borja Baston will line up for the visitors this weekend, while the likes of Luis Hernandez and Adrian have great experience at this level. Having scored just nine goals from their 12 La Liga matches to date, their attacking players will certainly be hoping to improve upon their performances in Madrid.
Head to Head
The two teams have met 27 times in the past, with Real Madrid having won 22 of such encounters to date, including registering four draws in this time. The Spanish giants won 2-0 away from home against Malaga last season, having also won at the Bernabeu just a few months earlier. Malaga’s only victory came back in 2012.
Betting Odds and Predictions
Despite not being at their best so far this season, it comes as little surprise that it is Real Madrid who are the firm favourite for victory with the majority of bookmakers. The hosts can be backed at odds of 1/10 with Skybet, while those looking to bet on an away win for Malaga can take advantage of 35/1 odds from the same bookmaker.
Top Betting Tip
However, our top betting tip for the match is to bet on Real Madrid scoring over 2.5 goals during the 90 minutes, which is available at odds of 1/3 with Ladbrokes.