SUNDAY IN EUROPE: Our football tipster The Ultra previews Sunday’s top European action from La Liga and the Bundesliga with recommended BETDAQ bets.
MAINZ V RB LEIPZIG
2.30pm European football is back in full flow and we have a fantastic Sunday ahead in the Bundesliga and La Liga. If you were to believe the betting markets, Dortmund are the main challengers to Bayern Munich this season; however I believe that side is RB Leipzig. Dortmund were bang average last season, and although they finished strongly – Leipzig were more impressive over the whole season. It’s actually surprising, but RB Leipzig topped the Bundesliga table on xG. It’s hard to see either of them actually topping Bayern, but I would expect Leipzig to put up another solid display this season and finished second again. They should start with a win here against Mainz who were involved in a relegation battle last season. They finished very strongly though to end up in 12th, but they did have a number of poor performances throughout the season.
At times it looked like Leipzig could actually win the Bundesliga last season. I know the gap was very big in the end, but Leipzig finished very poorly after their chance was gone. They can have no complaints though, as they had every chance. It’s no surprise to see them very strong favourites on BETDAQ Betting Exchange at around 1.39. That is a tempting bet considering the gulf in class between the sides, however I like Both Teams To Score here at 1.88. Mainz managed to score plenty of times last season but they also conceded. Leipzig generally always like to play an open game, so this should be enjoyable to watch with plenty of goals. BTTS looks the best value here.
The Ultra Says:
Two points win Both Teams To Score at 1.88 with BETDAQ Exchange.
You can view all markets here -> https://bit.ly/BDQMaiRbl
CELTA VIGO V ATLETICO MADRID
4.30pm Next we move to La Liga with the Champions in action! Atletico Madrid would have been watching the Messi situation very closely at Barcelona, and given he is now with PSG La Liga just got easier to win for Atletico Madrid. It appears the title will end up back in Madrid at the end of this season, I’m just not sure with what club! Atletico started last season on fire and it was that advantage that handed them the title – they didn’t finish as well as they started, but they were always in control for the final two games. Celta Vigo will be hoping to spoil the party here, but the 2.04 on Atletico is very tempting. Atletico offered a huge amount of value at times last season – they were playing good football and consistently over-priced. I believe they are over-priced again here.
Celta Vigo are a solid side, but they are nothing more than a mid-table La Liga side. They finished strongly winning their last four games last season to finished 8th, and the season prior to that they actually barely stayed up as they finished in 17th – just one point away from the relegation zone. Obviously last season was a massive improvement in form and performances – but they aren’t in the same league as Atletico in my view. I’d have Atletico odds on here, and although I was keen to keep stakes reasonably because it’s the first weekend of the season – it’s hard to avoid having a confident bet at these odds.
The Ultra Says:
Four points win Atletico Madrid to beat Celta Vigo at 2.04 with BETDAQ Exchange.
You can view all markets here -> https://bit.ly/BDQCelAtl
BARCELONA V REAL SOCIEDAD
7pm Life without Lionel Messi begins for Barcelona. I have to say, it’s been incredible to watch what happened from the outside. My understanding of the situation was Messi went in to sign his new contract and the club told him he couldn’t. They couldn’t afford to pay his wages and he was left with no choice but to go. I know the press like to spin things about money, and yes he did go to the club offering the most money, but I would suggest he would have preferred to stay at Barcelona – given the way things worked out. The main issue here seems to be how badly run as a club Barcelona have been and that’s going to lead to a number of issues down the line. A bad start to the season could really create a negative atmosphere with the fans, and it’s a fascinating situation to start the La Liga season.
As I said above, without seeing a ball kicked yet I fully expect the title to end up in Madrid this season. Barcelona were pretty poor, by their own high standards, last season and Messi carried the side at times. Without him they face huge issues, and we could really see some shock results this season. I wouldn’t be lumping on them at short odds; although we might not see prices like 1.2 as much as before. They have a tough game to start the season too – Real Sociedad finished 5th last season and although the top four were well clear, they were definitely the 5th best side in the league. They started the season extremely quickly and fell away as the season went on. This will be a tough test for Barcelona and I’m happy to have a small lay on them at 1.77.
The Ultra Says:
One point lay Barcelona to beat Real Sociedad at 1.77 with BETDAQ Exchange.
You can view all markets here -> https://bit.ly/BDQBarSce
