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Elche have failed to beat Real Madrid in any of their last 15 La Liga meetings (12 losses and 3 draws), in a sequence that stretches all the way back to 1978. Furthermore, Los Blancos have never suffered a league defeat to Elche at the Bernabéu, winning 20 and drawing four of their 24 clashes.
Nevertheless, the visitors have several reasons to be hopeful. Álvaro Arbeloa's men head into this one having lost their last league home match against mid-table Getafe, while also coming under significant pressure to keep pace with a dominant Barcelona outfit at the summit of the table. Although they've failed to register a single victory in their last ten league outings, Elche did manage to hold Saturday's opponents to a 2-2 draw when the two sides clashed at the Estadio Martínez Valero in November.
Real Madrid v Elche: Predictions
Real Madrid to score in both halves: 4/6 (bet365)
Match Goals Range 3-4: 5/4 (bet65)
Elche - Over 2.5 Corners: 4/5 (bet365)
Odds valid at the time of publication, subject to change.
Time for a wake-up call...
When analysing any goals market, it's crucial to review the attacking performance of the home side. Real Madrid invariably play on the front foot at the Bernabéu, enabling them to create plenty of positive situations in the final third. They particularly enjoy playing against teams that are prone to leaving spaces at the back, something Elche have been consistently guilty of this term.
Furthermore, Real Madrid will be eager to attack from the get-go as they look to put that disappointing home defeat to Getafe firmly behind them. The hosts may once again benefit from the goalscoring form of Federico Valverde, who netted two goals in his last four league appearances before claiming a superb hat-trick against Manchester City in midweek.
If they can find their attacking rhythm early on, it's likely Madrid will find the net both before and after the interval.
Prediction: Real Madrid to score in both halves: 4/6 (bet365)
Explanation: This bet lands if Real Madrid score in both the first and second half.
Potential value in the Goals Range market
As this contest pits a clear favourite against an opponent who has the capacity to create genuine scoring chances, the 3-4 goals range market feels like an attractive proposition. Real Madrid rarely thrash teams on home soil, while their recent defensive record tells us they're susceptible to conceding the odd goal.
It's also worth noting that Elche netted twice in the aforementioned reverse fixture, so are capable of posing a serious threat to the Madrid defence. If the visitors can launch effective counter-attacks during phases of transition, there's no reason why they can't find their way onto the scoresheet.
For the reasons above, a scoreline of either 2-1, 3-1, or 3-0 appears relatively likely, so backing the match to produce either three or four goals is a sensible bet.
Prediction: Match Goals Range 3-4: 5/4 (bet65)
Explanation: This bet lands if there are exactly three or four goals in the match, regardless of the final result.
A crafty corner bet
As Real Madrid often commit plenty of men forward, their opponents can quickly make positive attacking progress when possession turns over. This process can frequently result in corners being awarded, as recovering Real Madrid defenders race back to clear away the danger. For the Over 2.5 Corners bet to be a winner, this scenario just needs to materialise on three occasions throughout the 90 minutes.
Furthermore, Real Madrid frequently take their foot off the gas upon securing a commanding lead. If the hosts do manage to build a healthy advantage, Elche could yet find themselves in the final third more often as the match wears on. The more attacking impetus the visitors have, the more corners they are likely to receive.
Prediction: Elche - Over 2.5 Corners: 4/5 (bet365)
Explanation: This bet lands if Elche are awarded three or more corners.
Real Madrid v Elche: Match Result odds
Odds valid at the time of publication, subject to change.
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Odds valid at the time of publication, subject to change.