Real Madrid made a solid start to the new La Liga season with a comfortable 2-0 win over Getafe last week. Encouragingly, Gareth Bale was on the scoresheet, earmarked by new boss Julen Lopetegui as the forward to replace the goal-scoring exploits of the recently departed Cristiano Ronaldo.
However, their away form was patchy last season, particularly in the Sportsbook months of the campaign, and they now face their first trip this term to take on Girona on Sunday. Girona managed a goalless draw against Real Valladolid last time out but may well fancy their chances of snatching a point against Real.
- Girona has not won any of its last three games.
- Real has won three of its last four outings.
- The last 10 Real Madrid games have averaged 2.6 goals.
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Girona made disappointing start
At home against a side newly promoted from the second tier, Girona will be disappointed not to have managed to get three points on the board at the first time of asking. And having failed to break down Valladolid last week, it is certainly fair to assume they will have similar problems against Real Madrid this Sunday.
Looking at a simple bet based on the outcome of the game, it is Real Madrid who are the favorites to make it two wins from two. You can back Los Blancos at -300 to take all three points, while Girona are out at +750 to get their first win of the season.
You can also opt for the “Double Chance” bet, which gives you the opportunity to opt for two possible outcomes for the match rather than just one. A Girona win or a draw is priced at +240.
A Real Madrid win or a draw is at the shorter price of -1200, while you can back either side to take the points at -600. Given Real’s technical superiority, however, they will hope to win this one without breaking too much of a sweat.
Girona managed a 10th-place finish last season but their home form was patchy at best. They won just eight of their 19 matches played in front of their own fans, but more importantly lost five of their seven home games against the top seven in the league, winning just one and drawing the other.
That home win against a top-seven side came at the expense of Real, however. Girona won 2-1 on home soil, and if you fancy them to repeat that scoreline this weekend, then you can back them at the high price of +2200 to do so.
Real will look to turn the screw
Real can take advantage of the poor finish Girona made to the previous campaign. The side did not win any of their last five home games, losing four of them, and a Real win should be in the cards here.
A comfortable 2-0 win, as they managed last time out against Getafe, is priced at +650. All eight of Girona’s most recent home games have produced less than 2.5 goals, and you can back UNDER 2.5 goals in this match at +150. OVER 2.5 goals, meanwhile, comes in at the shorter price of -200.
And with Ronaldo gone, the responsibility to find those goals now falls on the shoulders of Gareth Bale. The Welshman is the favorite to find the back of the net and is priced at just -138 to do so, while you can back him to score either the first or last goal of the game at +300 – the same price he is at to score two or more goals.
His strike partner Karim Benzema is not far behind him in the odds. The French forward is at -120 to net at any time, while he is priced at +350 to open the scoring.
Having finished a disappointing third last season, behind great rivals Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, there is a real urgency for Real to hit the ground running this time. New coach Julen Lopetegui will be eager to make a positive start to his tenure at the club, and a comfortable win here should set him in good stead.
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