There’s a full schedule of soccer across all the big European leagues and CSB brings you the pick of the weekend betting action in Spain, Germany, England and Italy
Who do Bettors Favour?
There are plenty of big games in Europe this weekend and fans checking out the best sportsbooks can find some interesting wagering opportunities
In the weekend’s top fixture, the Madrid Derby, bookmakers have priced Real as the strong favourites at +100, while in the English Premier League, Chelsea are rated as comfortable winners against Leeds. In Germany, Leipzig are around -120 to beat Bundesliga rivals Borussia Monchengladbach and on Sunday, in-form Atalanta are given the best chance of winning their match against Verona.
Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid, 2021-12-12
Real Madrid come into the Madrid derby boasting a big lead over their city rivals in the Spanish top flight. Atletico are ten points behind in fourth, while second-placed Sevilla trail the leaders by eight, and a win for Real here would be a significant boost to their title hopes.
While their rivals have faltered, Real have discovered a remarkable level of consistency in the last few weeks, and have now played ten games without a defeat, in all competitions. In the league, they have run up six wins in a row, and with Barcelona and holders Atletico struggling, they are on course for the title.
The same optimism is in short supply in the Atletico camp. The usually strong defence that has carried the team over several seasons has been faltering and Diego Simeone seems to have been affected by their loss of form, failing to make the most of the array of attacking talent he has available. As if that wasn’t bad enough, he may be without key striker and leader Luis Suarez this weekend.
You have to go back to the 2015-16 season to find the last time Atletico won this tie and I don’t see them ending that record in their current state.
Chelsea v Leeds 2021-12-11
Are there signs of weakness, finally, in the Chelsea juggernaut? Thomas Tuchel’s team have been one of Europe’s best teams so far this season, but the reigning Champions League winners have been slipping in the league, winning only two of their last five in the Premier League.
Thomas Tuchel’s side have only won one of their last two in the top flight. They were frustrated at home by Burnley and Manchester United and lost their last fixture at West Ham. They also have the disadvantage of going into this game having played an exhausting 3-3 Champions League game in St Petersburg in midweek.
It remains doubtful that Leeds are the team to take full advantage of any weakness, despite the long rivalry between these two teams, but, unpredictable as they are, Marcello Bielsa’s side are capable of sublime football and given that Chelsea are available at prohibitively short odds, a bet on the draw looks like the way to go if you’re looking for value.
Hellas Verona v Atalanta, 2021-12-12
Verona picked up a much-needed win in their last Bundesliga game, though they were helped by a Venezia sending-off that enabled them to scrape by with a 4-3 victory.
Still, they will need to improve considerably if they are to compete with Sunday’s visitors. Gian Piero Gasperini’s team is one of the strongest in Serie A at the moment and can boast a run of nine games unbeaten in the league. They are especially effective on the road and have registered an impressive seven wins and one draw from their eight away games.
Verona can be tough to play against and will do all they can to frustrate Atalanta, but the visitors have too much momentum and are the obvious pick here.
RB Leipzig v Monchengladbach, 2021-12-11
Both RB Leipzig and Borussia Monchengladbach would have hoped to be much higher in the table at this stage in the season and neither go into Saturday’s clash in any sort of form. Leipzig have suffered defeat in their last three Bundesliga games and are down in eleventh, while Monchengladbach are in 13th place after losing to Koln and Freiburg.
Monchengladbach’s inability to perform on the road is their main problem. They’ve lost five out of seven away games and that doesn’t suggest they will thrive on their trip to Leipzig.
Leipzig, despite their struggles, have had some success in Europe, where a 5-0 win against Brugge and an impressive 2-1 success against Manchester City have helped them grab a Europa League spot. They can also boast a strong home record, which, prior to their defeat to Leverkusen, had seen them register four wins in a row. This looks like an ideal game to get their campaign back on track.
Best Online Sportsbooks to Bet on Soccer
Check out the best soccer odds by visiting these recommended sites where you can find the latest La Liga betting picks and the biggest value.
