In this midweek bulletin, we selected four matches from the LaLiga, Russian Premier League, and UEFA Europa League that caught our attention, and shared our predictions along with detailed analysis.
Elche CF vs Real Madrid
Match Analysis
Morale is high at Real Madrid after their comfortable 4–1 victory over Rayo Vallecano. Since José Mourinho took charge, Los Blancos have evolved into a side that plays much more collectively, and the dramatic points dropped last season as a result of individual selfishness no longer appear to be a recurring problem.
One of the players Mourinho has transformed the most is undoubtedly Vinicius Junior. One of the most debated figures of last season, Vini now looks disciplined, selfless, and fully committed to playing as part of the team, giving supporters renewed hope and confidence.
And then there is Arda Güler. El Turco entered the last match in the 72nd minute and recorded five key passes, created two big chances, and provided an assist. With this excellent performance putting him firmly in the spotlight, Arda almost seemed to be sending a message: my place is not on the bench.
With several well-targeted signings also significantly strengthening the squad depth, Mourinho’s starting XI selections have now become one of the recurring topics in post-match press conferences. This is also a sign that the process of building essentially two teams of players who are always ready to play and compete for a place in the starting lineup is progressing successfully.
Things are very different at Elche, who escaped with a fortunate draw away to Athletic Bilbao on Saturday. That crucial point can be described as the first real opportunity for Elche to breathe in LaLiga this season. However, their only shot on target resulted in a goal, while Athletic completely controlled the match but became trapped in a repetitive cycle of sending crosses in from wide areas and failed to convert several major chances.
Los Franjiverdes are experiencing serious problems after poor transfer decisions left their defensive line in a very difficult state. Those defensive weaknesses were also the main reason they lost at home to a ten-man Real Sociedad side. In fact, Real Sociedad found themselves two goals ahead almost without having to do anything. Elche are already being considered one of the early relegation candidates, and this season looks extremely difficult for them.
Real Madrid are now playing as a team rather than a collection of egos, and they should find the net at least twice against an Elche side suffering from serious defensive problems.
Prediction
Away Team Over 1.5 Goals
Spartak Moscow vs Fakel Voronezh
Match Analysis
Spartak Moscow, one of Russia’s historic and traditionally strong clubs, have produced somewhat inconsistent performances but remain firmly involved in the title race with fifteen points from eight matches, recording four wins and three draws. The Gladiators suffered their first defeat of the season in the difficult derby against Dynamo Moscow, but quickly restored morale by responding with a convincing 3–0 victory over FC Rostov. On the ninth matchday, when several of their title rivals face difficult away fixtures and could potentially drop points, Spartak host one of the league’s weakest sides, Fakel.
Fakel sit at the bottom of the table after collecting only three draws from their eight league matches and losing all the others. In their most recent fixture against Baltika Kaliningrad, they came extremely close to ending their wait for a victory after taking a 2–0 lead, but goals from Egor Golenkov in the 74th minute and Brayan Gil in the 90+5th minute forced them to settle for a single point. Their Russian Cup campaign has also been poor, leaving their chances of progressing from the group in serious danger.
Although Fakel managed to score twice in their most recent league match, they have found the net only eight times in eleven competitive fixtures. They are clearly struggling to produce goals. The fact that they are still without a victory this season has also significantly increased the pressure around the team. This difficult trip to the Otkrytie Arena could even prove to be a defining match for head coach Oleg Vasilenko.
Spartak Moscow play aggressive, high-tempo football in front of their home supporters and possess a clear advantage in squad quality. With an opportunity to capitalize on potential dropped points from their title rivals in difficult away fixtures, they should defeat a struggling Fakel side enduring a very difficult season.
Prediction
Home Win
Atlético de Madrid vs CA Osasuna
Match Analysis
Atlético endured a turbulent start to the season amid the Julián Álvarez drama and their struggles to win away from home, but secured a hugely important three points with a convincing 3–0 victory away to Real Sociedad. That critical win provided the team with a significant boost in morale and confidence. New signing Alejandro Grimaldo starred with a goal and an assist, while another new arrival, Jonathan David, came off the bench and scored his first goal for Atlético. Seeing the new signings move beyond the adaptation period and begin contributing directly to the scoreline is one of the most important positives for Atlético.
Osasuna, meanwhile, made a good start to the season but have begun to stumble after suffering heavy defeats in their last two matches. Their defensive problems were particularly evident in the 5–2 loss to Deportivo Alavés. Their attacking structure also relies heavily on experienced center forward Ante Budimir for goals, which can leave them struggling badly whenever Budimir is out of form or successfully neutralized by the opposition defense.
Diego Simeone should use the confidence and momentum gained from that crucial away victory to defeat an unstable Osasuna side with obvious weaknesses, who have managed to take points from Atlético at the Metropolitano only once since August 28, 2011.
Prediction
Home Win
Juventus FC vs NEC Nijmegen
Match Analysis
Juventus had actually made a very good start to the season before their disappointing defeat away to US Sassuolo. They collected two wins and a draw against AC Milan from their opening three league matches, conceding only one goal during that period. However, the dressing room had gradually begun to resemble an infirmary. With even more names joining the injury list, the effects of those absences were painfully evident, particularly in defense, against a Sassuolo side capable of causing problems for major teams. Andrea Cambiaso, Juan Cabal, Manuel Locatelli, Khéphren Thuram, Kenan Yıldız, Jérémie Boga, and Jeff Ekhator are all dealing with injuries. Even with so many players unavailable, Juventus continued fighting in that difficult away fixture without completely losing their grip on the match. On Thursday, they host NEC Nijmegen, an inconsistent Dutch side with considerably less squad quality, in the UEFA Europa League.
NEC Nijmegen have been extremely inconsistent in the Eredivisie and continue to struggle to translate the quality of their squad onto the pitch. They have recorded two wins, one draw, and three defeats from six league matches. Their 3–0 defeat on Saturday to newly promoted SC Cambuur Leeuwarden was particularly damaging. Cambuur had previously conceded eighteen goals in five matches and possessed one of the weakest defenses in the league, yet NEC offered almost nothing on the pitch. Cambuur pressed bravely high up the field, repeatedly came close to scoring, and effectively overwhelmed NEC to secure their first victory of the season. After such a heavy defeat and the resulting drop in morale, the visitors face an extremely difficult task away to Juventus.
Juventus suffered a demoralizing defeat in a difficult trip to Sassuolo, with their injury problems also playing a significant role. Against an inconsistent, low-confidence, and most importantly inexperienced NEC Nijmegen side, they should win at Lo Stadium without too much difficulty and restore some morale.
Prediction
Home Win