Sociedad is the Real Deal Compared to Leganes

Just a couple of points separate Leganes and Sociedad on the Spanish Primera Division ladder and the former has a game in hand over the latter but one is convinced that La Real are superior to Cucumber Growers by a significant margin.

Some people may argue that Leganes has had a tougher first half of the Spanish Primera Division than Sociedad and that, by rights, the Cucumber Growers have no right to be within touching distance of La Real given their respective fixture lists. After all, Leganes has faced Barcelona and it has visited three of the Spanish Primera Division’s top seven teams, whereas Sociedad has not encountered Barca yet and five of its six league matches against top-seven sides have taken place in San Sebastian. But, as you know, one prefers to assess teams on how they perform versus the same rivals and, according to one’s Spanish Primera Division collateral form analysis, Leganes trails Sociedad by quite some way.

Leganes and Sociedad have had 15 common Spanish Primera Division foes and, based on one’s collateral form number crunching, the Cucumber Growers trail La Real 4-2-9. What is more damning for Leganes, though, is that it is 0-1-7 behind Sociedad when one only computes results from Spanish Primera Division games in which either the Cucumber Growers or La Real played sides ranked in the league’s top 11. There is empirical data, therefore, that Leganes has been more disappointing against the Spanish Primera Division’s heavyweights than Sociedad and consistently so.

Last season, Leganes and Sociedad met for the first time in the Spanish Primera Division and the results of their two clashes were a 2-0 away win for Sociedad and a 1-1 draw between the teams in San Sebastian. Bookmakers have marked Sociedad as the favourite for Sunday’s latest Spanish Primera Division encounter between the sides but odds compilers have not afforded enough respect to La Real, who are backed at odds of 2.45Bet €100 to win €24529/20Bet £100 to win £245+145Bet $100 to win $2451.45Bet HK$100 to win HK$2451.45Bet Rp100 to win Rp245-0.6897Bet RM100 to win RM245  with ComeOn.

Both of last term’s Spanish Primera Division matches between Villarreal and Deportivo ended goalless so neutral fans are unlikely to put aside 90 minutes to watch them battle again on Sunday but punters should back the Yellow Submarine at 1.60Bet €100 to win €1603/5Bet £100 to win £160-167Bet $100 to win $1600.60Bet HK$100 to win HK$160-1.67Bet Rp100 to win Rp1600.6000Bet RM100 to win RM160  with Jetbull.

According to one’s Spanish Primera Division collateral form analysis, Villarreal enjoys an 11-2-3 edge over Deportivo and the progression to that ledger is one that says that the Yellow Submarine have demonstrated their superiority over Super Depor by performing relatively well in big games.

Based purely on one’s Spanish Primera Division collateral form data, Villarreal should be the second hottest favourite of the round but, while the Yellow Submarine are odds-on to get the better of Deportivo, they are trading at longer prices than the likes of Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and, most illogically, derby participant Sevilla.

A couple of suspensions were sufficient to make one think twice about including Valencia on one’s Spanish Primera Division short list so one’s third and final selection is Barcelona to beat Levante without leaking a goal on Sunday at 1.66Bet €100 to win €16633/50Bet £100 to win £166-152Bet $100 to win $1660.66Bet HK$100 to win HK$166-1.52Bet Rp100 to win Rp1660.6600Bet RM100 to win RM166  with 888Sport.

Unsurprisingly, Barcelona holds a 14-2-0 Spanish Primera Division collateral form advantage over Levante. Barcelona has won each of its last six matches versus Levante across all competitions, including four of them to nil. Levante has notched a paltry five goals in its seven Spanish Primera Division road games this season and three of its regular starters are ineligible to face Barcelona due to bans.

Below are the Spanish Primera Division collateral form figures for each of the 10 matches set for this weekend.

Atletico Madrid 10-3-3
Valencia 10-4-2
Las Palmas 6-1-9
Sevilla 8-4-4
Leganes 4-2-9
Barcelona 14-2-0
Athletic 8-4-4
Villarreal 11-2-3
Celta 5-2-8
Malaga 4-4-8

Tips Summary

Real Sociedad to beat Leganes
Sunday 7th January, 11:00 GMT
Odds: 2.45Bet €100 to win €24529/20Bet £100 to win £245+145Bet $100 to win $2451.45Bet HK$100 to win HK$2451.45Bet Rp100 to win Rp245-0.6897Bet RM100 to win RM245

Villarreal to beat Deportivo
Sunday 7th January, 17:30 GMT
Odds: 1.60Bet €100 to win €1603/5Bet £100 to win £160-167Bet $100 to win $1600.60Bet HK$100 to win HK$160-1.67Bet Rp100 to win Rp1600.6000Bet RM100 to win RM160

Barcelona to win to nil
Sunday 7th January, 15:15 GMT
Odds: 1.66Bet €100 to win €16633/50Bet £100 to win £166-152Bet $100 to win $1660.66Bet HK$100 to win HK$166-1.52Bet Rp100 to win Rp1660.6600Bet RM100 to win RM166