Eibar vs Barcelona
La Liga is back after the International break and we have a belting match to kick off the weekend, as Barcelona heads to the Basque country to take on Eibar.
After a slow start, 12 points from the last five games have seen Ernesto Valverde’s Barcelona climb stealthily up the table into second place. And as the first fixture of the day, this trip to the Basque Country could see the Blaugrana hit top spot for the first time this season.
The latest La Liga 2019 betting odds have kept faith with the Catalans, odds on to retain the title, but Real Madrid are not far behind. Los Blancos have been setting the pace and remain the only unbeaten side in Spain’s top tier. And with the El Clasico looming, Los Blancos visit the Camp Nou next weekend, Valverde needs a victory.
But it won’t be easy. The 7,000 capacity Ipurua Municipal Stadium is a tricky place to play, and Eibar boss Jose Luis Mendilibar has worked wonders over the past three seasons.
Talking Points
Is Messi ready to take off?
The Catalans have put together a three-match winning run in the league with a victory over Inter Milan in the Champions League in there too, Luis Suarez scoring twice to peg back the Serie A pace-setters.
But the best news for the Uruguayan is that Barca’s talisman Lionel Messi opened his account in a recent victory over Sevilla before the break.
If Messi starts to find his best form, it’s time for the rest of La Liga to lookout.
Barcelona’s 4-0 win over Sevilla came at a cost, as two players were sent off late in the game. Ronald Araujo was red-carded for a clumsy foul, and bizarrely Ousmane Dembele followed him for protesting too much. Midfield man Sergio Busquets escaped with a yellow!
But, with the exception of those two, and the injured Gerard Pique and Samuel Umtiti, Valverde has a rested squad ready to go again. For the first time in recent memory, Spain started an international, against Sweden, without a Barca player on the pitch, which is a reflection of the wider recruitment which has reshaped the Champions. Summer recruits Antoine Griezmann and Frenkie de Jong are settling in nicely.
Win this match and the Blaugrana can take it easy for the rest of the day, with one eye on the La Liga 2019 updates as their main rivals take to the pitch. Atletico Madrid have a tough examination at home to eighth-placed Valencia, before the late match sees Real Madrid visit strugglers Mallorca.
Valverde would love to heap a little more pressure on Los Blancos before they kick-off.
Gunsmiths have found their aim
After a difficult start to this campaign, Mendilibar has got his team going again. Los Armeros have picked up eight of their nine points from the last four games, including home wins over Sevilla and Celta Vigo. They are a tough nut to crack on this tight ground which has a lively atmosphere; it’s a far cry from the 99,000 capacity Camp Nou.
Eibar fought back from 2-0 down to beat Sevilla 3-2 recently, Jose Angel scoring a dramatic late winner with a well-taken free-kick. They have the underdog spirit with a never say die attitude, but will be without midfield star Gonzalo Escalante who picked up a red card in the draw against Real Betis last time out.
History
Eibar decided to play in claret and blue shirts and blue shorts to emulate Barcelona. That’s quite a tribute to their opponents and one which helped them out when they won their first-ever promotion to La Liga in 2014.
They celebrated with confetti originally produced by Barca. The Catalans didn’t win the La Liga title as they expected and sent their lorry loads of confetti up to the Basque Country!
Since then, Mendilibar has overseen a gradual improvement with midtable finishes over the past two seasons.
But they are yet to beat Barcelona. In the 10 meetings since 2014, Eibar has drawn once and lost the other nine. But the 2-2 draw came last May, and so that will give the hosts some hope.
Barca have scored two or more in each of the 10 meetings and have kept six clean sheets.
Betting Tip
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Eibar vs Barcelona | Barcelona Asian Handicap -1.00 @ 1.94 |
| October 19, 19:00 (GMT+8) |
Eibar are at 5.20 to win, at SBOBET, with the draw at 4.30, while Barca are odds on at 1.55 to win.
The Gunsmiths are on a decent run, unbeaten in four, and they will put up a good fight. But I back Barca’s frontline big hitters to score at least two yet again.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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 = €20 (Highly confident) |
= €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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