Soccer Update: Picks and Predictions For La Liga Week 35

La Liga returns this week with the title race stronger than ever. Two of the top teams are playing matches this week - Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. These are the matches to watch no matter where your loyalty lies concerning teams. There is also an Eibar match which may prove useful to follow for your soccer bets, but not much of a value match for the league standings. Let’s take a look at all these three games and the predictions for the outcomes. 

Barcelona v. Espanyol

Barcelona plays their local rivals this week, Espanyol. This is an important match for the former as it would help them catch up with Real Madrid, which is currently perched on the top of the league table. Ever since 2009, Barcelona has never lost to Espanyol. 

They have played each other in 21 games in the past 11 years, and Espanyol never managed to beat Barcelona in one of these games. Their most recent game was before the suspension of play when they drew 2-2. But Barcelona knows its form and will be looking to win this game. 

Their current spree of winning shows that they are highly capable of winning this game too. They beat Villareal, which is at its peak form currently, and they had some of the best players playing during the game - Messi, Antoine Griezmann, and Luis Suarez. While their return to the season has been lackluster, they have not dropped their performance too much. 

Messi is playing much deeper and in their game against Villareal, he played the pivotal role of providing assists to Suarez and Griezmann, which helped them clinch winning goals. Ansu Fati then added their last goal of the game, effectively bagging the match. 

With their strong offense, Espanyol doesn’t stand a chance. It isn’t easy to forget how poor Espanyol’s performance has been throughout the season. They are at the very bottom of the table, not even being able to draw or win against the 19th placed Leganes in the match over the weekend. Their fate is sealed, and they will most certainly be relegated. This is why my prediction lies with Barcelona winning this match easily, with at least 2 goals more than Espanyol. 

Celta Vigo v. Atletico Madrid

Atletico Madrid is happily in third place, although the point difference between them and Barcelona seems a bit too much to make up for. They beat Mallorca 3-0 in their most recent game. They have been in top form since the season resumed, with a winning spree of five games, two draws, and not even one loss during the period. 

Their roster is deep and filled with talent, which has helped immensely in playing their players effectively. Rotating them has ensured that the team keeps it fresh every match, and plays against the strengths of their opponents. This is exactly what Someone has done - he brought in Diego Costa, Thomas Partey, and Angel Correa after half time in their game against Mallorca, which was sure enough to demoralize Mallorca. 

Atletico is also playing a great defense currently, which is an added bonus to how well the attacking forwards are currently playing. Now, about Celta Vigo’s form. They have had a rollercoaster of games ever since the season started. They lost to Villareal and drew against Valladolid. But just when things were looking very grave for them, they beat Slaves in the bad beat we’ve seen this season - 6-0. 

Then they went on to beat Real Sociedad 1-0 and then actually drew with Barcelona, although that took an immense amount of pressure to end it 2-2. But after this commendable performance, they lost to Mallorca 5-1, and their last game was a draw against Real Betis. Overall, they are just outside the relegation zone but have shown the most confusing form among all teams. But Atletico’s gameplay and position should allow them to win against this side comfortably.  

Eibar v. Leganes

Eibar is right above the drop zone, a very dangerous position after they lost 2-0 to Osasuna at home last weekend. They were on a four-game unbeaten streak until then. They are, however, still in the 17th place. They have something to play for, as an additional three points will make them more secure and place them outside the relegation zones. The 19th place Leganes won against the 20th place Espanyol but didn't have it in them to beat Eibar. Place your bets on Eibar winning, and add in a draw no bet as a safety net to your bet.