The bats travel to the capital
Real Madrid welcome Valencia to the Santiago Bernabéu on Thursday night in their bid to keep up with arch rivals Barcelona whilst visitors Valencia will be looking to bolster their bid for a Champions League qualifying finish.
Real Madrid
Los Blancos saw off Eibar during their first game out of lockdown in confident fashion, seemingly never leaving second gear after going into halftime with a 3-0 lead and eventually winning the contest with 3-1.
Well-needed break
The win was naturally welcomed due to the ruthless form rivals Barcelona are in but also because Zidane's men were stumbling and fumbling before the mandatory lockdown. Prior to the break Madrid lost 2, drew 1 and won 1 of their last 4 games which resulted in the capitulation of their first place to Barcelona and added extra pressure on an already strained team.
Another reason the lockdown was very beneficial can be seen when quickly glancing over the squad against Eibar where both Hazard and Asensio featured which is nothing short of massive for a team that has, at times, struggled going forward.
Colossus defence
Real Madrid might not be as prolific going forward compared to previous seasons (52 goals in 28 league games) but they have however been astounding at the back conceding only 20(!) goals in all 28 outings.
The "break" seems to have done Los Blancos a tonne of good and Madridistas should feel confident in their ability of challenging Barca for the title as well as seeing off an underperforming Valencia side.
Valencia
Los Ches might find themselves at a somewhat disappointing 8th place at the time of writing but are only 4 points up to the fourth and last Champions League qualification spot.
Underperforming
Coach Albert Celades and co. have had, by their standards, a mediocre season so far after racking up 11 wins, 10(!) draws and 7 defeats which is to be frank a horrible record for a team of Valencia's stature.
Valencia's measly goal difference of 39-40 is the leagues 10th best and they have only managed wins with more than a goals difference on 4 occasions. The real culprit of it all is however their inability of performing on the road; their away stats consisting of 3 wins, 3 draws and 7 defeats as well as the goal difference of 15-27 is an absolute shambles and will have Real Madrid licking their lips.
Travelling blues
Valencia are, to be fair, strong at the Mestalla where they are yet to lose (8 wins, 7 draws) but as mentioned above, they struggle on the road and i have a hard time seeing that change here.
Betting tip
Real Madrid are definitely on the up considering their improvement regarding injuries as well as their solid display against Eibar whilst Valencia have been far from impressive which is why i will be backing Real Madrid to win and over 2.5 goals at 17/20 with Betway.
