La Liga: Real Madrid vs Valencia - Betting Tips, Odds & Prediction

Real Madrid are set to host their historic rivals Valencia at Santiago Bernabeu this Saturday afternoon in La Liga. Valencia remain embroiled in a fierce relegation battle, while Real Madrid are fighting in their own battle for points to advance their campaign objectives. Madrid approach this fixture knowing that a victory could see them level on points with direct title contenders Barcelona—provided Barcelona don’t secure a win themselves.

Real Madrid

Real Madrid boast one of the strongest rosters in the world of football, yet things haven’t been clicking at any point this season. At times, their overall talent shines brilliantly, with players like Vinícius, Mbappé, Bellingham, and Rodrygo performing superbly. However, there are other instances where the team struggles to find form.

The majority of their issues lie in midfield and defence, particularly recently, as they have been conceding far too many goals. The problem is largely down to players not performing to their potential, and this is not something that can easily be resolved through tactics.

Team News: Real Madrid continue to be without a few key defenders, including Carvajal, Militão, and Mendy, all of whom have been absent for an extended period—especially the first two, who have scarcely featured this year. First-choice goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois will also miss the match.

Predicted Lineup: Lunin, Vazquez, Asencio, Rudiger, F Garcia, Valverde, Tchouameni, Rodrygo, Bellingham, Vinicius, Mbappe.

Valencia

Valencia remain a rather underwhelming squad but should be capable of staying in the league if the players who are available continue performing as they have done recently. It has been an improvement for them, as in reality, there is no external reinforcement coming, and this mediocre side is all the team has at its disposal.

Team News: Valencia will be missing several players, including Christian Rivero, Thierry Correia, Dimitri Foulquier, José Gayà, and Luis Rioja, all of whom are expected to be unavailable for the match.

Predicted Lineup: Mamardashvili,  Vazquez, Tarrega, Mosquera, Gasiorowski, Guerra, Barrenechea, Perez, Almeida, D Lopez, Sadiq.

• Real Madrid have largely dominated this head-to-head, winning three of the last five
• Real Madrid have won five of their last six home games
• Valencia hasn’t lost away from home for three matches in a row
• Each of Real Madrid’s last three matches have featured at least three goals
   

Real Madrid are heading into this match with a clear imperative to secure victory. With an excellent track record at home this year, it’s no wonder they are heavy favourites across football betting sites. 

However, their most recent encounter against Real Sociedad in the Cup was far from flawless, and such errors should be avoided against Valencia, who possess the capability to cause Real Madrid problems.

Valencia demonstrated this in the first match, which they narrowly lost 2-3. The stakes are equally high for them, as they are not yet mathematically safe from relegation. They will be aiming for points here, but we predict they will walk away empty handed as the hosts win comfortably.

Real Madrid to Win and Both Teams to Score - $2.75  

There’s a clear best bet here and that’s for Real Madrid to come out on top, but both sides to score. The reason being each side have managed to score in their last three encounters, and last time these two teams met, the goals flowed.

This punt has a healthy return, with Bet365’s odds of $2.75 the best we can find heading across NZ betting sites.