Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the La Liga match.
Thanks to Barcelona's consistent point losses and Atletico Madrid's recent defeat, Real Madrid have climbed to the summit of La Liga. When visiting Real Valladolid, they should not encounter any issues in securing a victory, especially since the underdogs frequently lose even to their direct rivals.
Real Valladolid
After their defeat to Espanyol (1:2), Valladolid's gap from the safe 17th spot has widened to five points. While it's not yet a critical difference, they are not in a position to spare any points. Over 20 matches, the team have conceded 39 goals — the worst defence in the tournament. Additionally, they will be without their main defensive midfielder Stanko Juric in the upcoming leg, due to an accumulation of yellow cards.
Real Madrid
Real Madrid have not only matched but surpassed Barcelona's attacking statistics, achieving 19.53 xG over seven legs since early December, along with 19 goals. Following their loss to Barcelona in the Super Cup final (2:5), they left no chance for Celta Vigo (5:2 after extra time), Las Palmas (4:1), and Salzburg (5:1). Kylian Mbappé has netted five goals in his last four matches. Real Madrid are likely to maintain their attacking momentum — they excel in scoring, which compensates for their defensive errors.
Real Valladolid vs Real Madrid Prediction
Since December 2022, Real Valladolid have lost three encounters against Real Madrid with a total score of 0:11. There seems to be potential in backing the Madrid side's individual total.
