Recommended bet: Real Madrid v Sevilla
2pts Alvaro Morata to score first in Real v Sevilla at 15/4 – the Spaniard boasts the best goals-per-minute ratio at Real and will be desperate to prove his worth against out-of-sorts Sevilla
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We got a little taste of what it means to take on Barcelona's great MSN strikeforce last weekend, Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar limiting our profits.
First we had the agony of Neymar netting just before 16/1 tip Cedric Bakambu scored, and then Messi messed up the half-time draw/full-time Barcelona selection, preventing us from collecting a 4/1 winner on the market for second successive weekend.
Fortunately, Alvaro Morata and James Rodriguez justified two points worth of faith by both scoring at Granada (and then both scoring again).
Zinedine Zidane faces a selection dilemma over the duo when Sevilla visit this weekend after they were both benched again at Atletico Madrid in midweek, although his main focus will simply be on securing the first of four wins which would see Real crowned both Spanish and European champions.
They will also be looking to record revenge after Jorge Sampaoli’s men ended Real’s 40-match unbeaten run in all competitions when they met in Andalucia.
Real not only have the reverse fixture of a warning, but also have recent home failures against Barcelona and Atletico Madrid to ensure they are up to the task.
That task is, however, not quite of the same magnitude as facing Sevilla earlier in the season, when they looked genuine title contenders.
A run of just three wins in 11 has seen those hopes evaporate and they have even lost track of Atletico in the battle for third place, with motivation seemingly dwindling.
Indeed, they are not completely assured of Champions League qualification, but anything but a defeat at home to relegated Osasuna on the final day will see them fend off Villarreal’s chase even if they lose in the capital.
Their record on the road has been the most troubling, with no win in five and just four goals scored during that run.
Real are primed to take advantage with a gluttony of attacking options to rotate. Karim Benzema’s piece of magic may have opened up Atletico for Isco’s goal but Morata’s goalscoring record has been vastly superior.
Indeed, the Spaniard, has averaged a goal every 83 minutes from his 13 starts and 11 substitute appearances, a better ratio than Cristiano Ronaldo and more than twice as good as Benzema’s.
Speculation over his future is only growing as we head towards the transfer window and failure to start him in another key game will only add fuel to that fire, but I’ll be backing him to prove his worth at 15/4 with bet365 to net first.
Posted at 1815 BST on 12/05/17.
