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Real Madrid vs. Valencia: Odds, Preview, Live Stream, TV Info
November 30, 2018
Real Madrid will be looking to keep in touch at the top of the table in a chaotic La Liga season on Saturday, when they welcome Valencia to the Santiago Bernabeu.
While they picked up a victory in the UEFA Champions League at AS Roma on Tuesday, memories of their last domestic outing will still be vivid. Los Blancos were hammered 3-0 at Eibar, with the team turning in one of their worst performances of what's been a campaign to forget.
Valencia have endured a disappointing season to this point and were beaten by Juventus in the Champions League in midweek. However, they have shown some signs of life in La Liga recently, with two wins in their last two domestic games.
It's always an occasion when these two La Liga heavyweights come up against each other. Here are the key details for the match, including the odds, the broadcast details and a preview of what's to come.
Odds
Real Madrid win (100-357)
Draw (4-1)
Valencia win (13-2)
Odds courtesy of OddsShark
Date: Saturday, December 1
Time: 7:45 p.m. (GMT), 2:45 p.m. (ET)
TV Info: beIN Sports (U.S.)
Live Stream: Eleven Sports (UK), beIN Sports Connect (U.S.)
Preview
For Real Madrid, a midweek game was ideal after the horror show they turned in at the Ipurua Municipal Stadium against Eibar last weekend.
New manager Santiago Solari watched his side capitulate on Saturday. Not only were they outmuscled and outrun by their opponents, Eibar also played the slicker and more inventive football. In the end, a 3-0 scoreline flattered Madrid.
After the game, skipper Sergio Ramos said he believes the team didn't show the right sort of application on the day:
Defensively, the team have been especially poor this season, with only one side in the division leaking more goals than Los Blancos:
In truth, they could have been on the end of a similar scoreline at Roma on Tuesday, but some remarkably profligate play from the Serie A outfit—particularly Cengiz Under—gave Madrid a chance.
In fairness to Solari's men, they grasped that opportunity in the second period, and goals from Gareth Bale and Lucas Vazquez were enough for the European champions to secure their place in the knockout stages.
Ben Hayward of the Evening Standard noted that for all the issues the team has had this season, they can still pull a performance out of nowhere:
Players such as Bale and Karim Benzema are still popping up with some big goals, too, despite the criticism they have received in some quarters this season. With Isco currently out of favour under Solari and Marco Asensio struggling for form, more onus has been thrust on the experienced duo.
Football writer Dermot Corrigan believes Bale is putting in work for the team, too, after his application was questioned following the loss at Eibar:
Valencia's chances of progressing in the Champions League were ended after their loss to Juventus in midweek, meaning their focus can squarely be on La Liga now. That may come as a relief for manager Marcelino, who has struggled to juggle European and domestic commitments.
They will go to Madrid and look to play on the counter-attack through some of the vibrant forwards they have. While it's tough to know what you will get with Los Blancos at the moment, they should have enough to edge this one on home soil.
Prediction: Real Madrid 2-1 Valencia