I sent clubgowi subscribers notes on five games today, which along with three from LGF, meant eight full match previews. You can read the two from La Liga below, as further samples of what the service provides, Espanyol- Osasuna has just finished 3-0, with the third goal coming late, but it should have been "over" long before that with the hosts missing a first half penalty, the match in Gijon starts in a couple of hours time................
La Liga:
Espanyol- Osasuna
I previewed Osasuna's trip to Celta Vigo last weekend............
Celta had that Europa League game with Shakhtar Donetsk on Thursday, ahead of which I spoke about the strong Spanish record in the competition, but the team from Galica looking a little weary, with a heavier than usual schedule .............
I do have some concerns about the La Liga trio this time round, Athletic and Villa are strong at home, but struggle on the road and that is always likely to catch you out the longer the competition goes. Celta are not as consistent as that pair , they can raise their game and when they do it is good, but, they have already played six games more than at the same stage last season, when I felt they "tired" a little especially defensively after Christmas and this is their first European campaign in a decade and they are drawn against Donetsk and Villa have Roma. I would nominate Athletic as the more likely of this trio, but will look elsewhere on this occasion.
They lost 1-0 and face a daunting trip to the Ukraine and it is hard to know how they will approach it. Today they are without four starters in Facundo Roncaglia, Pablo Hernández, Hugo Mallo and John Guidett, who all played in both midweek and the 3-2 loss at Atletico Madrid last Sunday.That weakens them on both flanks without captain and right back Mallo they are three without a win conceding seven goals and Roncaglia and Pablo Hernández ( missed six games , five of which produced 4+ goals) play on the other side of the pitch. They were run ragged by Villarreal, who rarely cut loose against anyone in a 5-0 defeat earlier this season which both players missed and that day they did have Mallo on the other flank. They certainly look vulnerable defensively today.
Osasuna are in big trouble,bottom of thee table and eight points from safety, they have conceded at the rate of 2.23 goals pre game this season, but do have an offensive threat and have scored six in losses to Sevilla (3-4), Sociedad away (2-3) and Real Madrid (1-3) in three of their last four starts and are prepared to gamble, which I like. I don't think they are coming to sit back for too long, that doesn't appear to be in their arsenal at present and this looks a very offensive minded group Petar Vasijevic has named. The head coach was in pretty confident mood yesterday, he says the squad are playing well both on the pitch and in training and that they have no fear and when the first win comes, "we are going to get addicted" ...........love that quote !
Hard not to see a goal or two for Celta regardless of how well Osasuna play at the other end of the pitch, I do like the chances of the visitors who's sole win this season came away to Eibar 3-2 and that is how I see this playing out.
Celta won 3-0, Osasuna enjoyed a very good spell through the middle of the game and if they had taken one of those chances it might have been a very different story, but such is the way of things when your luck is out, that almost all luck is bad ! They are combative and competitive, but things can run away quickly from them, witness the two late goals conceded in Vigo and it could easily have been three in the final ten minutes. Now they are effectively ten points from safety and have to (always) gamble for the win.
I spoke in fairly glowing terms of the offensive threat Espanyol pose in early season, when they themselves were struggling ............
That will go double and treble for Espanyol who opened with a 6-4 loss (!) at Sevilla, tough to score four on the road and not get a point, but I doubt they will abandon their attacking principles and will instead take heart from their offensive performance. The signings of Leo Baptistao, Pablo Piatti, José Manuel Jurado and José Antonio Reyes hardly hinted at a team who were going to sit back in any game, they are looking to strengthen defensively before the window closes, but right now look full of goals at one end and leaky at the other, I suspect they will be fun to watch all season and odds for this to provide some of that entertainment look on the big side.
The first round of games saw 40 goals , there were only 32 on opening day in the previous two seasons combined, the increased and more equal distribution of television money in Spain has meant increased pressure on teams to entertain and I feel that last week might not just be a blip, but an ongoing trend.
A couple of weeks later I updated their signings ..........
Since writing the above notes they have added veteran keeper Diego Lopez from Milan, forward Alvaro Vazquez from Getafe, midfielder David Lopez of Napoli and centre back Diego Reyes from Porto, all four have made the squad today.. They are still bonding and looking to gel, but their offensive prowess is a given !
Espanyol would cement a top ten place with a win today, they have scored ten goals more than at this stage last season and across 23 rounds all La Liga games are producing 0.2 goals per game more. Last three home games have gone "over", including a 3-1 win over Sevilla who actually sit in first place this morning , at least for a few hours or so and highlights what Espanyol are capable of when things click.
Neither will be looking for a draw, we can expect more entertainment in general in these televised games and both have an offensive approach.
1.25 units "over" 2.5 goals 2.29 asian line/Sportmarket.
Sporting Gijon- Celta Vigo
We have spoken ahead of two recent Granada home wins about the ideal scenario for a relegation haunted team is to entertain a mid table side with little to play for and Celta kind of meet that criteria and Sporting are certainly the former. The hosts are 18th, three points from safety and travel to Barcelona in midweek, so this feels like draw a line in the sand time.
The visitors could still finish top 6, but Europa League will be their priority now, that and home games and after travelling to the Ukraine and back in midweek, claiming a famous and hard earned win over Shakhtar Donetsk, with a late, late winner and then over time, I doubt there is much left in the tank and perhaps more importantly, little will be demanded or expected of them. I have also tended to think that Galician and Asturian relations were a little of the "we can make out a rivalry, but if we can help them out with no real cost to ourselves, we will" variety and likewise with the Basque clubs. Celta do have a big rivalry with Deportivo of course and that is all down to Turkish/Portugese history and a little harder felt and Sporting would move level on points with La Coruna with the win and perhaps this is one game where Celta supporters could accept a loss. Anyway, that is all a "bonus", Gijon desperately need the points, are seasoned relegation battlers and know when they have to up their game. They survived by a single point last season, beating Real Sociedad, Villarreal, Atletico Madrid, Sevilla and Eibar at home in the second half of the campaign.
1.25 units Sporting Gijon -0.25 ball 2.31 asian line/Sportmarket.
Good Luck.
