No rest for the weary here in our coverage of the 2011/2012 Spanish la Liga season: the big boys are back in action this weekend, with Barcelona travelling to Bilbao to take on a complicated, but fun, Athletic side, while Real Madrid get their first crack at the new Sunday morning match, taking on Osasuna in the Bernabéu in a game that will--for better or for worse--be broadcasted throughout Asia. Obviously, neither side are expected to have any real problems, so...how long is it until December 11th (our first clásico)?
Spanish La Liga 2011, Week 11 Preview And Fixtures: Valencia Derby Arrives, FC Barcelona Face Tough Test In Bilbao
It’s another week of Spanish football, and this time we’re bringing you the best semi-derbies we have to offer, as Levante host cross-town “rivals” Valencia, and Atlético travel across Madrid to Getafe.
Saturday, November 5
18:00 CET (12:00 PM EST)
Sevilla choked away an easy win last weekend against Real Sociedad; Mallorca got dismantled by Leo Messi in Barcelona. Somehow I feel like losing in Barcelona is easier to shrug off than choking away a win to an inferior side.
Pick: 0-1, but only because Álvaro Negredo is a physically terrifying man.
Real Betis vs. Málaga
20:00 CET (2:00 PM EST)
Aaaaand, Betis’ slide continues. After their impressive start, they’ve stumbled all the way back down the table...and don’t expect that to change.
Pick: 1-2 to Málaga. In other news, I'd also take "Julio Baptista scores another last-minute bicycle-kick" (+600) over "Betis finishes in the top half of the table" (+300).
22:00 CET (4:00 PM EST)
It’s the inter-Valencia derby, that one special match that people in Valencia wait fervently for all year, while people outside Valencia ask each other who Levante is. In all seriousness, this match might be the most interesting Valencia derby in years, with Levante feverishly making a bid to stay near the top of the table, while Valencia is trying their best to not be third place. Unfortunately, Éver Banega is injured (get well soon, my friend), so I can’t make any jokes about him this week.
Pick: 1-1, though I'm never right on Levante. So I'd stay away from "Gabe correctly picks a Levante match" (+150) and wager on "Ellen Degeneres sues Sergio Canales for rights to that haircut" (+1000) instead.
Sunday, October 29
Real Madrid vs. Osasuna
12:00 CET (6:00 AM EST)
Real Madrid are really, really good. Osasuna aren't. The only thing driving this score down is the time. Hello, Asian markets, here's what you get when you have huge revenue differences, and no salary cap or revenue sharing system in place! Also, in seven matches with Sergio Ramos at CB, Real Madrid have allowed one goal.
Pick: 3-0 to Madrid, but I’m being conservative.
16:00 CET (10:00 AM EST)
If you woke up for the Madrid game, do yourself a favor and take a siesta until the noon games. But if you like intense, relegation-level soccer, then this is your timeslot this week!
Pick: 1-1, but I have a hard time giving Racing any goals.
16:00 CET (10:00 AM EST)
And here’s part two on the you’re-probably-going-to-sleep-through-this special. Just know that Zaragoza has a ridiculous tendency to give up goals. So...if you’re going to choose one...
Pick: 1-3, but somehow I feel like this could be 0-0.
Rayo Vallecano vs. Real Sociedad
18:00 CET (12:00 PM EST)
La Real is traveling to Madrid to meet my beloved Rayo in a match that will signal very little about the future of each side. Ah, who am I kidding, the more Rayo we have in Primera the better--go Vallecas!
Pick: 1-0.
Espanyol vs. Villarreal
18:00 CET (12:00 PM EST)
Espanyol has really been struggling to find their form of late, with a series of unconvincing 1-0 wins, and a solid loss to Málaga. But, I’m not sure if Villarreal even has any form at all. So...hosting hapless Villarreal might be exactly what Espanyol needs?
Pick: 2-1 to Espanyol.
Athletic Bilbao vs. FC Barcelona
20:00 CET (2:00 PM EST)
Now, this is the match I’d make sure not to miss this weekend (other than the Valencia derby, I guess). I can only imagine what Leo Messi and company will do to poor Marcelo Bielsa’s attack-first system, but I will say this: I bet Athletic gets up for this match. Let’s set the over/under at a total of four and a half goals: over 4.5 (+150), under 4.5 (+250).
Pick: 1-4 to Barça. I’m feeling pretty good about those odds, too.
Getafe vs. Atlético Madrid
22:00 CET (4:00 PM EST)
The mini-Madrid derby! This weekend is full of barely-relevant-yet-extremely-passionate derbies, another reason why we love Spanish soccer. This match should be pretty easy for Atleti, as they’re a good deal stronger than Getafe; but hell, they’re desperately trying to make my pre-season prediction that they’d be fighting with Málaga for third place seem even stupider than it was when I made it.
Pick: 1-2 to Atleti.
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