La Liga 2016/17 – Title Race Betting & Predictions

In Spain, an interesting three-horse title race is shaping up nicely. Reigning European champions, Real Madrid, won two Champions League in three years, but the league title is missing from their cabinet since 2011-12. Could this be their year? At the moment, Los Blancos are enjoying a healthy four point lead at the top, having played a game less. They are favourites to win the league, and it will be wise to place a bet on them, but before that don’t forget to check MyBettingBonus.co.uk for the best advice on claiming your next signup bonus.

The best part of this Madrid side is that there is no longer an over emphasis on Cristiano Ronaldo. He is still Madrid’s most valuable player, but Madrid have shown they can grind out results even without their talisman. At 31, Ronaldo feels that he needs to take extra care of his fitness, and the club has done their best in resting him from time to time. However, under Zidane, it is more about the team than about individual performance, or for that matter, brilliance. Real Madrid have had 17 different scorers this season; more than any other team in Europe’s top five leagues.

It has to be considered that no new faces have come into the side as the club is going through a transfer embargo. On top of that, Zidane hasn’t had much luck in terms of injuries, with two of his key players, Luka Modric and Gareth Bale, sidelined for a while. If and when they return they will be like new signings for the club. Last week, Madrid were knocked out of the Copa del Rey. While Zidane would have loved to win the trophy, the Frenchman now can prepare his team properly for the league and the Champions League ahead.

Barcelona haven’t really hit the top gear this season under Luis Enrique. Lionel Messi has been in impressive form (15 goals so far in the league) this season, but is he getting enough support from his teammates? For instance, Neymar went through a dry spell from October to December, where he didn’t score in 11 games. The back-up players haven’t really stepped up this season, with the likes of Arda Turan and Paco Alcacer hugely disappointing. Having said that, with Messi and Luis Suarez firing all cylinders, and Andres Iniesta is now back in training, Barcelona are expected to up their level a bit.

One of the major surprises of the season has been Atletico’s failure to mount a title challenge. They are in fourth place, 10 points behind Madrid. The worrying sign is that some of their performances haven’t been good enough. Atletico’s key players are always under the spotlight of transfer speculations which destabilise the spirit in the dressing room.

La Liga never fails to produce a surprise package – this season it is Sevilla. Banking on an impressive home record, Jorge Sampaoli’s team are growing in confidence with every single game. With central focus lying on the big two clubs, it has become easier for the players to concentrate on the job ahead. Can Sevilla surprise everyone? Well, they do have a terrific home record, and should they