Valencia vs Real Madrid Betting Preview

Kick-off: Saturday, January 27 @3:15 PM GMT

Venue: Estadio de Mestalla (Valencia)

Head to head record

Real Madrid vs Valencia 2-2 (2017/2018 La Liga)

Real Madrid vs Valencia 2-1 (2016/2017 La Liga)

Valencia vs Real Madrid 2-1 (2016/2017 La Liga)

Real Madrid vs Valencia 3-2 (2015/2016 La Liga)

Valencia vs Real Madrid 2-2 (2015/2016 La Liga)

Valencia vs Real Madrid prediction

After suffering a shocking elimination to Leganes in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals, Real Madrid will be looking to give fans some cheer when they face Valencia at Estadio de Mestalla on Saturday afternoon. Los Che are eyeing a place in the Champions League, thus a lively contest is on the cards.

Successful season

Valencia were struggling in the 2016/2017 La Liga campaign, but new coach Marcelino is on the right track to bring glory days back to Estadio de Mestalla. Los Che have been producing terrific displays in the Spanish top flight this term and they are sitting in third place in the La Liga standings ahead of the visit of Real Madrid. To make things even better for the fans, Valencia booked their place in the Spanish Cup semis on Wednesday evening and, no doubt, they are brimming with confidence at the moment. Marcelino’s men suffered an upsetting 2-1 loss to Las Palmas at Estadio de Gran Canaria in their last league fixture, but it is well known that los Che produce much better showings at home ground than on the travels.

Defenders Gabriel Paulista and Ruben Vezo both miss the Real Madrid game through suspension, whilst Dani Parejo and Jose Gaya return to the starting line-up after serving their bans. Carlos Soler is sidelined with injury.

Zidane on the verge of losing his job

Real Madrid are having a season to forget. Los Blancos occupy fourth position in the La Liga standings ahead of Matchday 21 and they head into Saturday’s derby against Valencia following an embarrassing 2-1 loss to Leganes in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals. Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane is under big pressure and, as reports in Spain suggest, the French tactician is on the verge of getting fired. A win over Valencia at Estadio de Mestalla could help him save his job, but Real Madrid footballers will have to prove their worth on the field. Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brace in a 7-1 crushing of Deportivo La Coruna at the weekend, meaning that the opposition defenders should have him at bay. Los Blancos are eager to melt Valencia’s advantage to two points and there is every chance the Spanish giants will fight tooth and nail against los Che. Karim Benzema has lost his place in the starting XI and Spanish youngster Borja Mayoral is widely expected to lead the line for the visitors against Marcelino’s team.

The likes of Marcelo, Tony Kroos, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo return to the starting XI after the quartet was rested in the Spanish Cup clash against Leganes. Centre back Sergio Ramos is unlikely to recover in time to face Valencia.

Interesting facts

• Real Madrid are on a four-game winless run on the road
• Valencia are eyeing their eighth home win of the season
• Over 2.5 goals were scored in last nine meetings between the two teams
• Los Blancos recorded their last win at “Mestalla” back in 2013
• Ronaldo has netted only 6 goals in La Liga so far this term

Valencia vs Real Madrid betting pick

Both Valencia and Real Madrid are likely to go for a win in Saturday’s clash and I believe that fans will see a real football festival at Estadio de Mestalla. When the two teams meet in La Liga a high-scoring affair is guaranteed and, taking everything into account, there is a big value in betting on over 3.5 goals.

Pick: Over 3.5 goals

Odds: 7/8