[Mario]

Spain La Liga
12/21/2014

Granada vs Getafe

Home - Granada
Last away matches - D-L-L-D-D-L

There is no end to Granada’s suffering and now they hope that a success in the Cup could be an additional motive for the championship. They somehow managed to eliminate Cordoba in two matches after they minimally won at home by 1-0, and then pulled off a draw of 1-1 away, although they played the last minutes of that match without excluded Marquez. In the previous season they were on the verge to grab a point from Espanyol’s claws but then had conceded a goal in the last minute. We must say that they played the finish of that match with one player less.Exactly as the saying “you win some, you lose some” says two rounds ago they saved a point against Valencia with a goal scored in the very finish of the match. When it all boils down, they are very close to the relegation zone, largely thanks to only nine scored goals this season, which is really pathetic. Especially bad is that they scored at home only three goals, and yet they have won six points in those matches. Midfielder Foulquier is back in the team, after expiration of suspension because of five yellow cards, while midfielder Rochina is still out of action.

Away - Getafe
Last away matches - W-D-L-W-W-L

Getafe cab breathe much easier because this team have five points more than teams in the relegation zone and they linked four matches without defeat, which is the longest successful series of the season for this team. The problem is that they defeated Eibar twice in the Cup and went further, but only drew the other two matches in the championship so they are without a victory since the end of October and they played five matches since then. The positive thing about the last two draws is that the first one was achieved in the away match with Levante, while the second one was made in the last round at home against Barcelona when the result read at the end 0-0.Something like that is always good for self-confidence, because it is a great thing to not receive a goal by such rival. They went to Eibar is the good mood after that and defeat them in the second leg of the Cup by 2-1, although the team was quite changed. Given that there are no new problems with injuries it seems logical that coach Contra will send the same team on the pitch as he did against Barcelona.

Asian Handicap
Home - (-0.50)
Away - (+0.50)
Pick - Granada (-0.50)
Odds - 2.44
Stakes - 10/10
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Spain La Liga
12/21/2014

Elche vs Malaga

Home - Elche
Last away matches - L-D-L-D-L-D

Elche sit rock bottom of the La Liga table and will try to improve on that when they are visited by Malaga. The Islanders are 7th, 17 points ahead of Elche, and could climb as high as 5th with a win. Everything to play for here. I can't find many reasons to doubt Malaga getting a win. Sure, Elche are home and desperate for points, but that hasn't stopped them losing their last 3 games. Indeed, they haven't even scored a goal in those 3 straight La Liga defeats

Away - Malaga
Last away matches - W-D-L-W-W-L

Malaga have won 2 straight, with clean sheets too. They recently suffered back to back losses but losing 3*1 at Atletico Madird, the reigning champions, and then only just losing 2*1 against a rampant Real Madrid is hardly poor. Prior to those losses Malaga were on a tear, winning 5 straight league games, meaning they have won 7 of their last 9 La Liga games. They won 4 of those games with clean sheets. Malaga's ability to defend means Elche will do well to score, let alone the 2 they will need to have a chance at a point. Elche have been stopped from getting on the scoresheet in 4 of their last 5 games, and they have not won any of those 5 games. Elche are yet to stop any of their visitors from scoring this season.

Asian Handicap
Home - (-0.25)
Away - (+0.25)
Pick - Elche (-0.25)
Odds - 2.61
Stakes - 9/10
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Spain La Liga
12/21/2014

Athletic Bilbao vs Atletico Mardrid

Home - Athletic Bilbao
Last away matches - D-D-W-W-D-W

Athletic is significantly better recently if we compare them to the beginning of the season when they really struggled. That is why they failed in the Champions League but at least had won the third place and the Europa League. In the championship they had an unexpected blunder and lost at home to Cordoba, while everything else was very good and are now in the middle of the table. It was very important for their self-confidence was that they stayed undefeated in the great Basque derby with Real Sociedad, which was a draw, although they very early conceded a goal and the played the last ten minutes without excluded stopper Laporte.In the Cup they troubled a bit against Alcoyano and after the draw away they won at home by 1-0 at home playing with a slightly different team. The team for this match will be changed for sure, because Laporte cannot play and midfielder Iturraspe has five yellow cards. The absence of these two players is a big handicap, and on top of it comes Iraolu who was injured before. Gurpegui and Ibai Gomez will probably step-in, and we will see smaller changes of positions for certain players.

Away - Atletico Mardrid
Last away matches - D-W-W-L-W-W

It seems that the current champion is still in mild crisis in the finish of the first part of the season, because it didn’t happened for a long time that this team don’t win for three consecutive matches, while in the last round they lost a match at home in the championship after a very long time. Now are lagging behind leading Real for substantial seven points and defence of the title seems like ever more distant so what remains is a struggle to win places that lead in the Champions League, the competition where Atletico did an excellent job in the group stage. They still play in the Cup, although they didn’t really need to draw at home with third leage L’Hospitalet.It was 2-2 and the passage in the next round was not in jeopardy as they won by 3-0 at home, but for the sake of reputation they had to win. Forward Mandzukic was great again with two goals but in the last round he go the fifth yellow card and if the disciplinary commission doesn’t to pardon him in the last minute he will miss the away match in Bilbao. Forward Cerci is injured so Jimenez could be the most forward positioned player in the team, and it is expected that Griezmann play instead of Raul Garcia.

Asian Handicap
Home - (+0.50)
Away - (-0.50)
Pick - Atletico Mardrid (-0.50)
Odds - 2.19
Stakes - 10/10