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Race for
Fourth Place Set to Go
Down to Wire in La Liga |
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| "Could Champions League football come to Getafe?" by
Miguel303xm (CC
BY-SA 2.5) |
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The fourth and
final spot in next season’s Champions League from Spain is up for grabs,
with three or four La Liga clubs gunning to be best of the rest behind
Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.
Yet another capital club,
Getafe, have punched above their weight this term to be in the mix, while
European regulars Sevilla and Valencia are the other contenders. Basque
Country outfit Athletic Bilbao, meanwhile, could still mathematically get
fourth but need all of those sides to slip up.
As the run-in comes thick
and fast, a chance at Europe’s top table next term beckons for one of
these sides. What are their chances?
Getafe
While not as fashionable as Madrid rivals
Real and Atleti, Getafe will eclipse their best-ever season in La Liga if they
win their remaining games. They are certain to better last term’s
eighth-place finish already, with their previous best being crashing the top
six in 2009-10.
What’s behind Pepe Bordalas’ side serious tilt
for European football next season? Getafe have one of the best defences in La
Liga with goalie David Soria keeping at least a dozen clean sheets.
Not
only is the rearguard miserly, but front two Jaime Mata and Jorge Molina have
struck up a prolific partnership in attack. That has put Getafe in the driving
seat with the latest La Liga betting
on a top-four finish quoting them as the 6/5 favourites with
bet365.
Sevilla
European football
is an expectation in Andalusia and Sevilla look sure to have that again next
term. It’s just a case of whether it’s the Champions League or the
Europa League?
Widely regarded as experts in the latter continental
competition, the board showed ruthlessness
in axing
Pablo Machin after a stunning Europa exit courtesy of Slavia Prague.
Although director of football Joaquin Caparros is back for another caretaker
spell and has again steadied the ship, Sevilla will spend the summer
looking for a fifth permanent boss since Unai Emery left. |
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| "Wissam Ben Yedder has been prolific for Sevilla" by
soccer.ru (CC
BY-SA 3.0) |
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His unprecedented Europa
League hat-trick between 2014 and 2016 has clearly cast some long shadows over
the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. It’s not been all bad for Sevilla, though;
French frontman Wissam Ben Yedder has had his best season in front of goal and
he’s 100/30 to help fire the team to a top-four finish.
Valencia
Los Che may have lacked a cutting edge in
attack at times this season, but they’ve been defensively solid. Brazilian
stopper Neto is in double figures for clean sheets for Marcelino Garcia
Toral’s team.
The Mestalla has been a fortress for Valencia –
a trait which is common in a good season. Despite a more mixed away record,
they are hanging in there with every chance of again securing Champions League
football.
With Athletic Bilbao 40/1 outsiders for the top four, Los Che
are much more fancied in the betting at 13/8. Valencia have also enjoyed a run
in the Europa League this term and
play Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final during their
centenary year.
Attacking talents Rodrigo, Kevin Gameiro and Denis
Cheryshev all have the ability to be match winners on their day. Their task now
is to score the goals that get Los Che back into the top four. |
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