Dean Etheridge
One of the biggest matches in club soccer takes place this weekend when Barcelona and Real Madrid clash at the Camp Nou on Sunday.
- Match – Barcelona v Real Madrid | La Liga
- Venue – Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain
- Date – Sunday, October 24th, 2021
- Time – 10.15am ET
This will be the first time the two teams have met this season and is the first time they’ve played since Barca legend Lionel Messi departed the club.
So far this season, both teams have struggled in both La Liga and the Champions League.
This is still a huge fixture though. And despite the struggles, a win for Barcelona will see them overtake second-placed Real in La Liga.
A win for Real could see them go top of the table, depending on how current league leaders Real Sociedad do in their fixture away to Atletico Madrid.
In the latest betting to win La Liga, the top sportsbooks make Real Madrid their favorites.
Now managed by Carlo Ancelotti again, Los Blancos are -110 to win La Liga. They are followed in the betting, not by Sunday’s hosts, but defending champions Atletico Madrid, who are +250.
Troubled Barcelona is third in the betting. They are +450.
| La Liga Betting 2021/22 |  |  |
| Real Madrid | -110 | -120 |
| Atletico Madrid | +250 | +240 |
| Barcelona | +450 | +400 |
| Sevilla | +800 | +900 |
| Real Sociedad | +3300 | +2500 |
Chaos At Barcelona
Since the departure of Lionel Messi in the summer, the sheer extent of the problems facing Barcelona has started to emerge.
They are currently rumored to be in debt to the tune of over one billion dollars.
This debt is what led to the loss of Messi, and also prevented the Catalan giants from purchasing any top-quality replacements.
LATEST NEWS | Leo #Messi will not continue with FC Barcelona
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 5, 2021
So far this season they have relied on youngsters from the academy system and free transfers to bolster their thin-looking ranks of players.
Then there is the ongoing dispute between the club president Joan Laporta and head coach Ronald Koeman.
As things stand there is open warfare between the two. Laporta wants the coach out, but Koeman is staying put, waiting for the payoff he will get when sacked – but Barcelona can barely afford it!
All this has left the team in a mess this season, both on and off the pitch.
In La Liga, Barcelona sits in the seventh position on 15 points. So far this term they have won four, drawn three, and lost one.
Remarkably, if they win on Sunday, they go above Real. This just shows how weak La Liga has become lately.
Ancelotti’s Madrid struggling for any consistency
Real Madrid isn’t in too great a situation themselves either. They’ve lost the services of long-serving defender Sergio Ramos, but things are nothing like as bad as they are at their bitter rivals.
Despite cutting their cloth a bit more accordingly over the past two to three years, they did find the cash to bid near $200 million for Kylian Mbappe from PSG last summer.
Showing the coffers aren’t as bear as we’ve been previously led to believe!
The form of Real isn’t the best though, and it’s all been a bit too inconsistent from Ancelotti’s team so far this season.
They’ve recently lost 2-1 at home to the unheard-of Sheriff Tiraspol in the Champions League, although they did just beat Shakhtar Donetsk 5-0 away in their most recent UCL fixture.
Summing up the inconsistency!
In La Liga, they sit second in the table on 17 points from five matches. They’ve won five, drawn two, and lost one.
Their most recent domestic fixture was a 2-1 defeat away to Espanyol – who is a team that sits in eleventh place with 12 points from nine matches!
Barcelona v Real Madrid Betting
Right, onto the betting, and the sportsbooks just about have Real as their favorites.
- Barca +160
- Draw +240
- Real +155
The soccer betting odds are very open and evenly matched though, and if this match were at the Bernabeu, I have no doubt Real would be a minus price.
The betting odds sum up the difference between the two sides though.
While not great themselves, Madrid is the superior side, and that is why I’m making them my betting pick to win El Classico.
Goals Betting
Sometimes in the past, these two teams have canceled each other out. That was when they were good teams though!
In this match I can see Real scoring, I’m just not sure how many.
- Over 2.5 Goals -160
- Under 2.5 Goals +120
So, as a result, I’m going to leave the overs and under market. I expect over, but just don’t see value at -160.
It’s the same in the both teams to score market, I expect it to win, but I’m not happy with the price of -200.
- BTTS Yes -200
- BTTS No +140
Instead, I’m going to use a betting bonus to place a better value, more risky bet.
I’m going for over 2.5 goals and Real Madrid to win for my second pick. The odds are +320, and I think this is far better value!
