International Football News, National Soccer Teams, Previews International football in bite-size pieces
Related Articles
Kick-off: Sunday, 21 February @15:00 GMT
Venue: Estadio La Rosaleda (Malaga)
Live Stream: fuboTV (US), bet365 (non-US)
Head to head record
Real Madrid vs Malaga 0-0 (2015/2016 La Liga)
Real Madrid vs Malaga 3-1 (2014/2015 La Liga)
Malaga vs Real Madrid 1-2 (2014/2015 La Liga)
Malaga vs Real Madrid 0-1 (2013/2014 La Liga)
Real Madrid vs Malaga 2-0 (2013/2014 La Liga)
Malaga vs Real Madrid prediction
Having outplayed Roma in the Champions League on Wednesday evening, Real Madrid will be looking to return to extend their winning run in La Liga to four matches when they square off against Malaga at Estadio La Rosaleda on Sunday afternoon.
Boquerones tough to beat at home
The 2015/2016 La Liga campaign has been a mixed bag for Malaga so far. Los Boquerones occupy 11th place in the standings ahead of Matchday 25, but a win over Real Madrid would see the Andalusian outfit move a little closer to the European places. Javi Gracia’s troops recorded a routine 3-0 win over Getafe in their last home game in La Liga, but Villarreal proved to be a big catch for them at the weekend. Anyhow, the club chiefs, who added a number of high-profile players to the squad in the January transfer window, have big ambitions for the second half of the season and they are certainly capable of upsetting Real Madrid in Sunday’s La Liga game. Malaga recorded three wins in last four matches at their Estadio La Rosaleda and the fact that they played out a goalless draw with los Blancos in the reverse fixture is giving the fans a reason for optimism ahead of Sunday’s clash.
Midfielder Recio returns from suspension, while the likes of Juan Carlos, Atsu and Gonzalo Castro are all out of contention with injury. January signing Uche made his Malaga debut against Villarrreal and he is pushing for a start.
Yet another must-win game
Real Madrid have been producing splendid displays under new coach Zinedine Zidane, but thanks to a 3-1 win over Sporting Gijon in a postponed match Barcelona increased their advantage over los Blancos to seven points. The capital club have no other choice but go all guns blazing at Malaga on Sunday, but the clash against los Boquerones will be anything but a walk in the park for the Spanish giants. Zinedine Zidane’s troops outplayed Roma in the Champions League clash on Wednesday evening and they will be looking to extend their winning run to five games in all competitions when they take on Malaga in Andalusia. Cristiano Ronaldo proved the doubters wrong in midweek, with the Portuguese starlet scoring a wonder goal in the 2-0 win over the Giallorossi and all eyes will be on him when Malaga and Real Madrid face each other at Estadio La Rosaleda. You should have in mind that los Blancos defeated Javi Gracia’s team in previous two meetings in Andalusia.
Raphael Varane is sidelined through suspension, while defender Pepe is a major doubt and he will be assessed on the match day. Gareth Bale has yet to overcome his injury. Marcelo returns to the starting XI.
Quick Facts
- Malaga managed to keep three clean sheets in previous four matches at home
- Los Boquerones scored 1+ goals in each of their previous five games at Estadio la Rosaleda
- Real Madrid are eyeing their third consecutive win at “La Rosaleda”
- Los Blancos scoreed 14 goals in last four games in all competitions
- Zinedine Zidane’s team are eyeing their fifth straight win
Malaga vs Real Madrid betting tip
Real Madrid are superior to Malaga, but seeing that los Boquerones held los Blancos to a goalless draw in the reverse fixture, I am not tempted to put my money on the title-chasing side this time out. Real Madrid dropped two points in a 1-1 draw with Betis in Seville and considering that they experienced all sorts of problems in a hard-fought 2-1 win at Granada, I would not be surprised if the hosts grab something from Sunday’s match.
Tip: Malaga +1.5
Odds: 1.40 (2/5) @Unibet
If you are looking for a reputable website to place your sports betting wagers at, why not check out our selection of top online bookmakers, featuring bonus info, reviews, important details and more.
[table “2” not found /]
