Betdistrict.com
Malaga and Osasuna will open up the new season of La Liga football, with the hosts looking to get to a winning start against the worst rated team in the league.
The hosts had a typical season last year, finishing 8th, playing well at home and looking decent overall. They will try to attack an Europa League spot again in this campaign and early signs are positive. Malaga played very well in friendlies both in terms of results and level of football, they did not lose too many important players and spent over 10 Milion Euros on a few very interesting signings.
Osasuna barely managed to claim a playoff spot in Liga Adelante last season, needing a last round win to finish 6th. Surprisingly, they went all the way in the promotion playoffs and gained access to La Liga. The visitors are supposed to have the weakest squad in Primera Division player by player and it`s no surprise that they are rated as the main favorites for relegation by the bookies, alongside Sporting Gijon. What’s worse, Osasuna did not look good at all in friendlies, losing 5, drawing one and winning one – though personally I don`t rate results in preparation as relevant.
Place your bets on Malaga vs. Osasuna and claim your 150% welcome bonus at 18Bet!
Team news & lineups:
Both teams can report a clean bill of health, though there are some doubts over Camacho and Casado for Malaga, while Osasuna is sweating over the fitness of Romero and Torres. The projected backline of Osasuna below is not a typo :).
Malaga: Kameni – Rosales, Llorente, Weligton, Ricca – Recio, Kuzmanovic – Keko, Juanpi, Jony – Sandro
Osasuna: Nauzet – Garcia, Flano, Garcia, Flano – Oier, Elias, Fausto, Merida – Cuevas, Kodro
It`s the first round of the season so things could always get a bit tricky, but on the other hand we get some excellent odds for a Malaga victory. It`s hard to look past Malaga here, everything seems to be pointing at a home win, from quality to what we saw last season from the two teams, from home court advantage to form in friendlies – though, as I previously stated, friendly games results are not too important.
Osasuna got a bit lucky to gain promotion and their squad does not look great at all, while Malaga is a side that usually gets the job done at home. The hosts may be even stronger than last season, so my tip will be a Malaga win. Not too high stakes on the bet, as we probably shouldn’t get too involved until we get a firm grip on how the season is unfolding. But it should be a home win. Prediction: Malaga – Osasuna 1-0.
Pick: Malaga
Odds: 1.68 @ 18Bet
Stake: 6
Possible profit: 4.08
Event date: 19 August
