Las Palmas vs Sevilla prediction: SPAIN: LaLiga betting tips on match 2024-08-15 19:30.
[p]They may have finished the last La Liga season in 16th, but having held Champions League Liverpool to a 0-0 draw at Anfield in their final pre-season runout, perhaps Las Palmas have spent the summer improving. Improvement was certainly needed for a side who ended last season in freefall on the back of a 14-match winless league run (D5, L9) – a streak that ultimately spelled the end of García Pimienta’s two-and-a-half year reign.[/p]
[p]There’s an interesting subplot to this game against Sevilla as Pimienta is now in charge of the opposition, with Luis Carrión the man tasked with ensuring he endures a miserable return. To do so though, Carrión will have to oversee Las Palmas’ first home league victory since February (D3, L4 since), but having lost the last three home H2Hs, that’s far from guaranteed. [/p]
[p]If last season was anything to go by, this should be a close-fought contest as Sevilla finished just a point ahead of Las Palmas. Intriguingly, Sevilla also played Liverpool in their final pre-season friendly, although theirs ended in a 4-1 drubbing, and having lost their top scorer in three of the last four seasons, Youssef En-Nesyri, fans of the Andalusian club must surely be a little concerned about where the goals come from this campaign.[/p]
[p]Those fears will only be heightened knowing they’ve lost their last two season opening games by the same 2-1 scoreline. Hopes should be high of avoiding a trilogy of opening day defeats given they’ve won the last seven H2Hs, but given five of those were by a slender one-goal margin, there may be little to separate this pair. [/p]
[p]Players to watch: A summer recruit from Sheffield United, Las Palmas’ Oli McBurnie scored six league goals last season – all in home games that saw both teams score and over 2.5 goals, while three arrived in second half stoppage time. Sevilla’s goal scoring emphasis may fall on Dodi Lukébakio who scored after half-time both home and away against Las Palmas last season. [/p]
[p]Hot stat: Luis Carrión has lost ‘to nil’ in his first competitive game in charge at each of his last three clubs. [/p]
[p][i]Written by Chris Wilson[/i][/p]