Domestic football returns next week and the big question in La Liga is: ‘Can leaders Barcelona bounce back from a pre-break loss away to Real Sociedad?’
Hansi Flick’s Catalans are six points clear at the top of the table, though Real Madrid have a game in hand and the defeat in San Sebastian was a second in six league games for the Blaugrana. The last loss was a shock reversal away to Osasuna and Barca responded brilliantly, with seven wins, including a stunning 4-0 victory in El Clasico and a 4-1 drubbing of Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
Over that superb run Barca scored an incredible 29 goals and conceded five, two of those in a 5-2 win over Red Star Belgrade. When they return this week Flick’s men have three games in a week, a trip to Celta Vigo on Saturday and then home games against Brest in the Champions League and Las Palmas at home in the Primera Division. The hot money is for the Blaugrana to win all three of those games, at a SBOTOP price of 1.63 to beat Celta, while Los Blancos have a tricky away game to Madrid minnows Leganes before heading to high flying Liverpool in the Champions League.
Star striker Robert Lewandowski has 14 goals from 13 league games, six more than Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior who is second in the race for the Golden Boot. He missed Poland’s Nations League clash with Portugal last week after picking up a back niggle during the Blaugrana’s loss to Real Sociedad and will not be playing for his nation against Scotland. Flick is hopeful that Lewandowski will be fully fit for the return of domestic football and that spells bad news for Celta Vigo.
At the other end of the pitch the 33-year old centre-back Inigo Martinez is enjoying a fine campaign too, and he’s one of the first names on the Catalans’ team sheet. Having spent his entire career in the Basque, at Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao Martinez made a surprise move to the Camp Nou last season and the switch has paid off for both player and club.
While Lewi and Martinez, when fit, can pretty much guarantee their places in the Barcelona first eleven, there is competition for places among Barca’s young midfield and attacking group, where the fit again Pedri and the resurgent Raphinha have added their unbelievable talent to the likes of Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo and Fermin Lopez. And that has left little room for another promising forward, Ansu Fati, to stake his claim. Still only 22, Fati was the first of the new generation to break through, back in 2019, and he was hailed by some as ‘the new Messi’. But the weight of expectation has been heavy and last season Fati was farmed out to Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League.
Opportunities are few and far between for Fati and his predicament has alerted bosses at Sevilla, who have emerged as the front -runners in the race to secure his services. The Andalusians are hovering just below mid table in the Primera Division and they feel they can help Fati rejuvenate his career while helping them to climb away from a potential relegation scrap and join the top ten contenders. Fati has struggled with injuries over the last couple of campaigns and he has dropped down the pecking order at the Camp Nou, while Barcelona will be happy to listen to offers as they continue to juggle their finances.
Fati needs playing time and Barca need the cash so a move to Seville may not be far away for the young star.
Valladolid may give Endrick more game time
The latest La Liga 2024 betting odds still rate Barcelona the favourites to win the title at a price of 1.63 with Real Madrid not far behind at 2.30. And Los Blancos’ head coach Carlo Ancelotti has his own selection challenges. The signing of Kylian Mbappe, long in the making, has increased the competition in Real’s attacking unit though some critics have suggested the France star may have made Los Blancos’ more predictable. But there is little chance of Mbappe being rested any time soon and, in a group that includes Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, the chances for fringe players will be few and far between.
So, much like Fati at Barcelona, Real Madrid starlet Endrick has not found it at all easy to break through at the Santiago Bernabeu since his arrival in the summer. The 18-year old has struggled to make many La Liga 2024 highlights with game time limited and a move may be on the cards to give the young Brazilian more development opportunities. He made his name at Palmeiras, where he scored 18 goals in 66 games and he has already made 13 appearances for Brazil. While he has scored on his La Liga and Champions League debuts, a starting place is hard to come by and Endrick may be receptive to making a temporary move, with Real Valladolid heavily linked.
With the January transfer window fast approaching Valladolid’s president Ronaldo Valladolid has taking it upon himself to open negotiations and, though Los Blancos will surely not sanction a permanent exit for their wonderkid, a loan deal may be the ideal outcome.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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