Last Updated on January 15, 2024 10:45 pm by Erwin Noguera
After most of the biggest teams in the country headed out to the Supercopa, we had an interesting matchday where the biggest surprise was Girona’s letdown. The Catalans lost a great chance to take distance at the lead with a, somewhat, embarrassing draw.
On the other hand, a team that didn’t disappoint was Athletic, which is exciting its fans with its best season in ages, establishing itself as a firm candidate to go to the Champions League.
As we prepare for the comeback of the top dogs, let’s talk about this weekend’s results.
LaLiga Matchday 20: Las Palmas 3-0 Villarreal
When and where:
Saturday, January 13th, 8:00 am ET at Gran Canaria
Moneyline odds:
Las Palmas 2.613
Villarreal 2.974
Draw Offs:
3.375
Where Can I Watch?
One of the surprises of the season faced one of the disappointments, and the result was not pretty for the Yellow Submarine. As we have stated previously in this blog, Las Palmas is a team that likes to dominate but, simply, has wet powder. However, that was not the case on Saturday, as they had three shots on target and all went in.
That will usually raise questions about the keeper but, truth be told, Villareal as a whole is a mess. The team will hardly go down (it wouldn’t be the first time this century, though), but should be looking at the bottom of the table with fearful eyes.
LaLiga Matchday 20: Athletic Club 2-1 Real Sociedad
When and where:
Saturday, January 13th, 12:30 pm ET in San Mames
Moneyline odds:
Athletic Club 2.103
Real Sociedad 3.93
Draw Offs:
3.505
Where Can I Watch?
The best game of the weekend was defined by a great performance by Berenguer, as the Basque scored two goals (his third and fourth of the season) to define a derby that was full of tension and equality. With the possession split almost at the half, both teams had few shots on target, although two of the three Athletic made went inside.
With this, the Bilbao team was established in third place, although with a game less than Atlético Madrid and Barcelona. However, it is the club with the best performance in the last months between the three.
LaLiga Matchday 20: Real Betis 1-0 Granada
When and where:
Sunday, January 13th, 3:00 pm ET at Benito Villamarin
Moneyline odds:
Real Betis 1.655
Granada 5.65
Draw Offs:
4.265
Where Can I Watch?
There’s an expression in Spanish called ‘Unocerismo,’ and there is no better word to describe what Betis is doing. The team from Seville has not scored more than one goal for LaLiga since November 4 but still manages to take points now and then. Against Granada they were pretty dominant, having almost 60% of the possession and 25 shots, although just six were on target.
In the end, a solitary goal by Isco (one of the surprising players of the season) determined the result in favor of a Bético team still in contention for European football.
LaLiga Matchday 20: Almería 0-0 Girona
When and where?
Sunday, January 14th, 8:00 am ET at the Estadio Mediterráneo
Betting Odds:
UD Almeria 4.63
Girona 1.739
Draw Offs:
4.455
Where can I watch it?
In a weird game, the leaders visited the worst team in the league and were completely dominated. Either Almeria is now playing like they have nothing to lose, or Girona felt the pressure, but in the end, an unexpected 0-0 was the result. The Catalans were in great danger of doing the flop of the season after the expulsion of Aleix Garcia but managed to survive.
The locals shoot at will, but only three of twenty went on target, while the possession was divided almost in half. Now, we will have to wait, as this kind of game can be an inflection point.
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