Reigning Spanish champions Real Madrid take on Levante at the Santiago bernabeu on Saturday lunchtime, with Zinedine Zidane’s men looking to jump to the top of the table, albeit it potentially briefly. However, with opponents Levante having also made a positive start to the campaign, the Champions League winners may not have things all their own way.
Real Madrid vs Levante
Spanish La Liga – Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid – Saturday 9th September – 12:00 UK Time
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Draw Best Odd of: 14/1 at Ladbrokes |
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Real Madrid
LevanteMatch Preview
Real Madrid have defeated virtually all before them over the last twelve months, with the visit of Levante potentially not causing their playing squad too many sleepless nights ahead of this weekend’s encounter. However, with the international break having taken its toll on Madrid’s star-studded squad, Zidane could well choose to make full use of his assets when Levante roll into town.
Real Madrid Team News & Form
An opening weekend victory over Deportivo La Coruna was followed up by a home draw with Valencia, with the absence of suspended duo Sergio Ramos and Cristiano Ronaldo seemingly hitting the team harder than expected. Ramos is once again available, however Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo is still unavailable, which is positive news for Levante. The likes of Theo Hernandez, Marco Llorente and Kiko Castilla could all earn rare starts for the home side, with Madrid kicking off their Champions League campaign just days after this fixture. Having scored five goals in just two La Liga games, it is almost a certainty that supporters at the Bernabeu will be in for a treat come kick-off time. Already two points behind rivals Barcelona, it is perhaps too early to call this a must win fixture, however Zidane will expect three points from his side.
Levante Team News & Form
Late goals have been Levante’s speciality so far this season, with Jose Luis Morales’s penalty on the opening weekend providing them with a win over Villarreal. However, with the Spanish winger having been sent off in their draw against Deportivo La Coruna, manager Juan Muniz will be forced into reshuffling his starting line-up for their trip to Madrid. Levante’s squad is jam-packed with home-grown talent, with Jefferson Lerma and Cheick Doukouré among the few international names available to Muniz. Experienced bodies such as Ivan Lopez and Pedro Lopez are likely to be crucial this weekend.
Head to Head
From their 20 recent encounters, Real Madrid have come out on top on 16 occasions, demonstrating their dominance over Levante over the years. Such successes include two victories last season, with Madrid coming out on top thanks to a 6-1 aggregate scoreline over the 180 minutes. In fact, in order to find a win for Levante you must look back until 2011, when they registered a 1-0 victory.
Betting Odds and Predictions
Real Madrid are the overwhelming favourites for victory with all online bookmakers, with best odds of 1/14 provided by William Hill. As a result, for those looking for any significant win from a bet must look at some of the more diverse markets. Firstly, backing the home side to score over 3.5 goals is always worth considering, with odds of 8/11 available at Ladbrokes. Meanwhile, backing against both team scoring is another market that could potentially be lucrative, with the same platform offering odds of 10/11 here.
Top Betting Tip
Our top betting tip for the match is to bet on over 3 goals being scored during the 90 minutes, which can be found at best odds of 2/5 at Ladbrokes.