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Real Madrid will undoubtedly still be hurting following last Sunday's El Clásico defeat, which ensured Barcelona were crowned back-to-back La Liga champions. That crucial loss in Catalonia brought a forgetful season to a miserable end, leaving Los Blancos to lick their wounds ahead of the final three matches of the campaign.
With problems both on and off the pitch – including the clash between Aurelien Tchoauméni and Federico Valverde and the much-maligned attitude of Kylian Mbappé – Madrid are hoping to boost their spirits with a positive display at the Bernabéu. There’s nothing left to play for in terms of the table, but anything less than a comfortable win over the bottom side will only add fuel to the fire – Real have registered just two wins in their last six league fixtures.
As for Real Oviedo, they head into their first match since their relegation to the Segunda División was mathematically confirmed. The point Girona picked up against Rayo last Monday sealed their fate, although demotion has seemed inevitable for some time. A quarter of a century on from their return to the top flight, Oviedo dropped back down to the second-tier following a challenging season at the Estadio Carlos Tartiere.
The Asturians have spent most of the campaign submerged in the relegation zone, and have sat at the bottom of the La Liga table for some time. The arrival of Uruguayan head coach Guillermo Almada brought a marked improvement in results, but the Carbayones have faded again in recent weeks. Since their 3-0 triumph over Celta Vigo in early April, Oviedo have only earned a further two points.
Real Madrid v Real Oviedo – Predictions
Real Madrid to be leading at half-time: 8/13 (bet365)
Real Madrid – Over 2.5 Goals: 5/6 (bet365)
Vinícius Júnior to score anytime: 1/1 (bet365)
Odds courtesy of bet365. Correct at the time of publication and subject to change.
Oviedo to make a slow start
We’re backing Real Madrid to be ahead at half-time in this match. The Bernabéu natives have little patience left after such a turbulent year and will demand their team go all out from the first minute, especially at home against the league's bottom club. Furthermore, as they come into the game already relegated, Oviedo are more likely to take risks and perhaps lose some of their defensive discipline.
The stats back up this selection. Oviedo were behind at the interval in two of their last three league matches, trailing to Elche and Real Betis after 45 minutes. The same could be said of the reverse fixture between these two teams, which saw Real Madrid run out comfortable winners early on in the campaign. Despite their recent poor run of form, Real were ahead at the break in two of their last four league outings.
Prediction: Real Madrid to be leading at half-time: 8/13 (bet365)
Explanation: This bet will land if Real Madrid are leading at the end of the first half.
Madrid need a morale boost
We expect Real Madrid to try to put their recent woes behind them in the most effective way possible: by scoring plenty of goals. That’s why we believe Álvaro Arbeloa's men can score on at least three occasions against a side who have already been condemned to relegation. Real Madrid have netted three goals or more on four occasions since March, with three of these tallies coming against strong opposition. They put three past Manchester City, Bayern Munich, and Atlético Madrid on Champions League duty, and also scored four against Elche.
Having conceded 54 goals in the league so far, Real Oviedo’s defensive record is one of the poorest in the division. Only Levante (57) and Real Sociedad (55) have let in more, sparing them from being La Liga's leakiest defence. Almada’s side have shipped three or more goals on several occasions in the last 10 matches, with Real Betis, Levante, and Rayo Vallecano – who all possess far less attacking firepower than Real Madrid – enjoying plenty of joy in the final third against the Asturians.
It’s also worth noting that Madrid scored three against Oviedo last August, the same number they conceded in both of their league meetings with newly-crowned champions Barcelona.
Prediction: Real Madrid – Over 2.5 Goals: 5/6 (bet365)
Explanation: This bet will land if Real Madrid score three or more goals during the match, regardless of the final result.
Vinícius on the scoresheet
The absence of Kylian Mbappé has put more attacking responsibility on Vinicius Júnior, who has served as Real's main goalscoring threat in recent weeks. The Frenchman could be included in Thursday's matchday squad, but it's unlikely he'll be part of Arbeloa's starting XI. Therefore, don't be surprised if Vinicius Júnior once again leads the line.
We backed Vinicius Júnior to score against Espanyol – the Brazilian went on to bag a brace in that fixture. He also found the net in last month's 1-1 draw with Betis, after scoring and having a goal disallowed against Alavés a few days prior. As a result, he has scored four of Real Madrid's last five league goals.
The pacey winger has netted 21 times across all competitions this term, with 15 of these scored in La Liga outings.
Prediction: Vinícius Júnior to score anytime: 1/1 (bet365)
Explanation: This bet lands if Vinícius Júnior scores during the match.
Real Madrid v Real Oviedo – Match result odds
Odds correct at the time of publication and subject to change.
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Odds correct at the time of publication and subject to change.