20-09-2007 La Liga Betting - Week 4 Preview

The shock waves of Jose Mourinho’s exit from Chelsea will be felt keenly in Spain. With the Special One on the market, coaches failing to deliver in La Liga will feel Mourinho’s shadow on them, as the most eligible free-agent in football management. Despite some famous run-ins with Barcelona, it wouldn’t be a great shock for Jose to be linked with the Catalans. Visit PinnacleSports.com for up to 60% better odds on La Liga.

Rijkaard Feeling the Pressure

Barcelona coach, Frank Rijkaard, is starting to feel the backlash from the club’s unsatisfactory start to the new Primera Division campaign. Two of the Catalans three league games have ended 0-0, despite the array of striking talent at the club, including £16 million signing, Thierry Henry. The club’s directors and Spanish media have Rijkaard in their sites, questioning his ability to motivate his personnel, and find a formation that gets the best out of Henry, though that decision is made easier with Samuel Eto’o sidelined for several months.

In Rijkaard’s defence Henry is some way off full fitness and is quoted in L’Equipe as saying “I still feel like I am playing on just one leg”. Nevertheless, with the knives being sharpened, Rijkaard needs a big performance in Saturday’s home game against Sevilla. The Sevillistas have no such scoring problems netting 18 goals in their last five games, including a 5-3 Spanish Super Cup win over Real Madrid. Juande Ramos’s side are yet however, to play on the road in the league. Last season’s away form was patchy, with only six wins, and Barca won the corresponding fixture last October 3-1. Despite the bad vibes, the strength of Barcelona at home – their last league defeat at the Nou Camp was February 2006 - have led PinnacleSports.com to price them favourites 2.11 (-0.5 & -1) with Sevilla 1.826 (+0.5 & +1).

Is Madrid’s Strong Start Misleading?

Real Madrid take their 100% record on the road making the short journey North West to Valladolid’s Estadio Jose Zorila. Pucela (as the team are known) spent three seasons in the Segunda Division before gaining promotion last term as Champions. They have made a reasonable start to this season’s campaign, opening with a victory at Espanyol, drawing at home to Deportivo, and were only denied a point at the Mestalla last week by virtue of a 90th minute David Villa goal.

On reputation and this season’s bare results, Real Madrid would start as favourites for this game. Los Blancos are reigning La Liga champions, have won all three league games, and began their Champions League campaign with a win. Scratch beneath the surface, and the Galacticos aren’t as smooth as their results might suggest. Their pre-season was woeful, and they were more fortunate last week against Almeria (another newly promoted side) than the 3-1 score-line suggests. Coach, Bernd Schuster, has been cautious in his appraisals, stressing that the side is a long way from where he would like them to be. With four goals already, Wesley Sneijder could be the key man while Arjen Robben’s availability adds another option. PinnacleSports.com price Real Madrid 1.962 (-0.5 & -1) with Valladolid 1.962 (+0.5 & +1).

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