Spain (week starting 6th January)

Reckon it could be worth backing Valencia tonight against Atletico on either DNB or the handicap (or potentially even on the straight win). Valencia are having a poor season, but they've got a new manager in place, who's got off to a winning start on his first game at the weekend.

Atletico expected to put out a fairly strong side for this one, but although they're making all the right noises about being up for this game, they've got a crucial top-of-the-table league game against Barcelona coming up next week and it'd be natural for them to have one eye on that match. This tie is over two legs, so there's no need for them to go all out for a win here either.

I think you could be spot on RC.

It's the sort of game teams lose/draw before a massive game and as you say it's over two legs. I'd really like to be on here but have no betting funds till the 15th.

What's the most used nickname for Atletico btw? I know they have a few according to wikipedia.

Atletico are blue across the board on Oddschecker, Valencia as big as 13/5.

Valencia DNB @ 13/8 would probably be my bet though.

I cant wait for the game on Saturday!

I'm on Valencia mate cheers

...with United though

Los Colchoneros or Los Rojiblancos are both commonly used, as is Atleti if you're talking about just shortening their name rather than an actual nickname as such. Never heard them referred to as Los Indios like Wikipedia claims though.

Just been watching 5 minutes or so just now, hadn't seen anything before that though - who should have had a penalty?

Top of the table clash tomorrow in Spain, Atletico Madrid v Barcelona. Both teams 16-1-1 for the season so far, Atletico Madrid have won all 9 home games so far this season in the league, scoring 33 goals in the process (add in Champions League + Spanish Cup games and it's 13 wins out of 13, and 44 goals scored).

Barcelona's results are equally impressive, 7-1-1 away from home in the league (or 9-1-2 if you include Champs League + Spanish Cup). Personally though, I still feel they're not as strong as they have been in recent years, and their defence certainly looks pretty shaky at times (although the return of Valdes is a bonus for them). Not yet known whether Messi will start having just come back from injury (and scored twice in a half hour runout against Getafe in the cup), or whether he'll be on the bench to begin with.

Atletico have already beaten Real Madrid (away from home) this season, the first time they've beaten them in the league (home or away) for 14 years. I reckon they can do the same to Barcelona here. Regardless of the fact none of their opponents have been as good as Barcelona, a team that's won 13 games in a row at home in league, Champions League and Cup surely shouldn't be as high as 3.4 (Coral and Betfred, according to Oddschecker)?

Medium stakes for me on Atletico DNB @ 2.35, and smaller stakes on Atletico to win @ 3.2

Hopefully i's a cracker RC but i'm swinging twards barcelona. with messi returning the other night and scoring 2 goals will (imo) throw a spanner into Ath Madrids plans/tactics.

they havent looked the same without him mind you but although Ath Madrid have been good and as you've already mentioned they havent played anybody of barca's standards (madrid have been relatively poor) so imo this is their first real test and I'd rather back 23/20 on Barcelona. I do appreciate that the price will rise if Messi doesnt start

Don't think it'll throw a spanner in their plans, Kegman, he was always due back in time for this match.

He's not been his normal self for most of this season. 8 goals in 11 league games and just 3 in his last 7 before the injury are perfectly acceptable figures for most players, but by Messi's standards (last season he got 46 in 32 in the league, the year before 50 in 37) they're merely average.

The two goals he scored against Getafe, the first one was a tapin, the second one was more like the Messi of old, but the defence made it easy for him by backing off so much.

I'd still be happier if he wasn't playing (and he's expected to start on the bench), mind you, especially given he has something like 17 in 14 games against Atlético.

Good luck anyway, hopefully should be a cracker like you say.

I don't know about being better without him, but I certainly think they have a sometimes unhealthy reliance on him (Messi-dependencia as they call it over here).

I read somewhere the other day that some agency or other had worked out that his value to Barcelona was around 400m euros, and they reckoned there was one club, virtually bankrolled by a country (so presumably City or PSG) that would be prepared to pay that much. If I were in charge of Barcelona and got an offer like that, I reckon I'd be inclined to accept it.

Enjoyed the Levante game , struggling to see how Malaga didn't get ( at least ) a draw