Valladolid vs Valencia prediction: SPAIN: LaLiga betting tips on match 2024-12-12 20:00.
[p]Ălvaro Rubioâs La Liga debut as Real Valladolid caretaker manager was a painful one after a first-half equaliser was not enough to earn them any points away to Las Palmas (L 2-1) or lift them off the bottom of the table. They have let both Las Palmas and Getafe (L 2-0) get away from the relegation zone in recent weeks and now face a season-defining fixture with fellow bottom-three club Valencia.[/p]
[p]Theyâre on a six-game winless streak in this competition (D1, L5) and are still yet to win as an outsider at home (D2, L4) following the 5-0 loss to AtlĂ©tico Madrid in their last outing at Estadio JosĂ© Zorrilla, but should appreciate the opportunity to face a potentially easier opponent. Thatâs because Rubioâs side have earned points from every La Liga match against the other three teams starting this round in the bottom five of the standings (W2, D1). [/p]
[p]Valencia come into this crucial clash four points from safety but with two games in hand on most of the competition, so they could restore some calm to their tumultuous season by taking six points combined off direct rivals Valladolid and Espanyol in their next two fixtures. It would also be a relief for manager Rubén Baraja, who was confronted by angry supporters in the Mestalla carpark after their 1-0 loss at home to Vallecano. [/p]
[p]Whether they can relieve the pressure on the manager here must be in doubt, considering they are one of a handful of clubs yet to win a game on the road this La Liga season (D2, L5), whilst this hasnât been a happy hunting ground for Baraja who has won only one of his four managerial trips to Valladolid (W1, D2). But Valencia may also appreciate the potential drop in class with their two away draws coming against other lowly-ranked clubs Getafe (D 1-1) and LeganĂ©s (D 0-0). [/p]
[p]Players to watch: This could be a special game for Valladolidâs only scorer against Las Palmas, Marcos AndrĂ©, who will face former employers Valencia for the first time since moving back to Valladolid. Luis Rioja was Valenciaâs most recent goalscorer in a La Liga away game, and with 11 of his last 14 scoring appearances ending in victory, they could certainly do with more from the 31-year-old. [/p]
[p]Hot stat: Only two of the last 12 competitive H2Hs were decided by a 2+ goal margin.[/p]
[p][i]Written by Aaron Murphy[/i][/p]