La Liga Betting: Don't expect fireworks when Espanyol host Atlético Madrid

Getafe v Las Palmas
Wednesday, 18:30
Live on Sky Sports Mix and Betfair Live Video

Workaholic coach José Bordalás made Getafe one of the most streetwise sides in Segunda last season and Los Azulones are following the same path to success in the top flight this term. They may not win many prizes for aesthetics, but they get through the miles and rarely give their opponents a moment's rest.

The 1-0 defeat to Girona last weekend was frustrating and dropped them to 10th in the table, but they have a great chance to go into the winter break on a high note on Wednesday night. Getafe may only have won four of their first eight home games, but they have faced a treacherous run of fixtures (Sevilla, Barcelona, Villarreal, Real Madrid and Valencia have all pitched up at the Coliseum) and will keen to start turning promise into points.

They'll be licking their lips at the prospect of facing Las Palmas, who are flakier than a sausage roll. The Canary Islanders somehow salvaged a point against Espanyol this weekend but have lost six of eight away games so far and will be without suspended Mauricio Lemos, one of their starting centre-backs. Getafe should have too much fighting spirit for them.

Recommended Bet
Back Getafe at 1.85

Alavés v Málaga
Thursday, 20:30
Live on Sky Sports Football and Betfair Live Video

18th vs 19th (at the start or Jornada 17) doesn't sound like a glamour tie and there's a good chance that this game will be one for the purists. Neither Alavés nor Málaga have been pulling up trees and nerves are likely to trump confidence in what already looks like s relegation six-pointer.

Málaga snatched three points at Real Socieded in their last away game but reverted to form at the weekend, slumping to a disappointing defeat to Real Betis at the Rosaleda. That will have dented their confidence and their prospects of bouncing back won't be helped by suspensions for right-back Roberto Rosales and midfielder Adrián - the son of coach Míchel - on Thursday night.

Alavés have no similar personnel concerns and should have a bit more wind in their sails. The side from Vitoria have been reborn since the arrival of Abelardo, winning as many points in the three games since (six) as they did in their previous 13 league matches, and gave a good account of themselves even in defeat to Atlético Madrid last time out. The momentum is with them here.

Recommended Bet
Back Alavés at 2.16

Espanyol v Atlético Madrid
Friday, 20:30
Live on Sky Sports Football and Betfair Live Video

One assumes La Liga's fixture-planners have been reading up on the cinematic concept of 'counter-programming', because this Friday-night fixture throws the weekend's big game into sharp relief. We may be treated to the Clásico on Saturday, but first we have to take our medicine and sit through the anti-Clásico.

That's not just because this is Barcelona vs Madrid, either, but because the chances of anything resembling a classic are vanishingly small. You'd struggle to pick two sides less likely to produce a thriller in unison at present, which means backing against there being goals is the way to go.

The hosts, who thrilled intermittently last term, are struggling. Quique Sánchez Flores' charges have managed just four wins in 16 and just don't look to have the attacking potency required to climb up the table: the last 10 games have yielded just six goals, one of which was scored by Eibar's Sergi Enrich. Gerard Moreno (the scorer of seven of Espanyol's 13 league goals) is giving it a good go, but the likes of Léo Baptistão and Pablo Piatti aren't at the races.

Atleti are second and will be hopeful of mounting a proper title challenge with no Champions League football to distract them, but they still appear to be wading through treacle a lot of the time: their success over Alavés last time out was their fifth 1-0 win in La Liga already. With Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco being ushered to the periphery, their play can be formulaic and easy to predict, especially when Antoine Griezmann is denied space.

A stalemate, then? Quite possibly. Espanyol's last five home league games have produced just five goals in total. Diego Simeone's side have kept five successive clean sheets away from home in the league. This could easily be a sixth and backing under 1.5 goals is the play.

Recommended Bet
Under 1.5 goals at 7/4