Sport Betting

The 2008/09 season of La Liga will be kicking off in just a few short weeks on August 30th. For those of you who fancy having a flutter we’ve put together a comprehensive guide to what is sure to be another closely contested season.

The fixture everyone always looks for –FC Barcelona vs. Real Madrid – will take place this year on December 5th, with the return game at the backend of the season on May 3 at the Bernabeu . FC Barcelona haven’t won el clasico since 2005, with Madrid notching up 3 victories in the same period. Barca will be hungrier this year for the win than ever before after finishing a staggering 18 points behind their arch rivals last season. These fixtures are sure to have a massive impact on the overall proceedings in La Liga, with the fixtures both taking place at crucial points in the season. If you want to keep a closer eye on proceedings than watching the coverage on SkySports, you can always head on over to the Camp Nou acquiring Barcelona Tickets along the way and watch the action live.

Early markets indicate that the smart money should be going on Real Madrid to lift the title once again; you won’t get any better than evens away from the exchanges. But with FC Barcelona sure to be playing with more desire than ever as they seek to end Real Madrids 2 year reign at the top, we can’t help but feel they are worth a bet at 5/4 with 888 sport betting to lift the La Liga crown.

Fans of 2007/08 runners up Villareal who think their team can go one better this season can pick up a wide range of odds across the web ranging from 16/1 as far up as 25/1. A lack of activity in the transfer market and an injury to star player Nihat, which rules him out for the early part of the season, has clearly put many off taking a punt on them this time around.

The La Liga newcomers for the 2008/09 season are CD Numancia, Málaga CF and Sporting de Gijón, who return to the top flight for the first time in ten years. You may well be quick to jump in feet first and gamble on Malaga to take an immediate tumble back down a division – but don’t bet with such haste! Indeed, we believe it would be smarter to take a gamble on them finishing top 10 rather than be relegated. Manager Antonio Tapia has worked tirelessly to draft in new signings over the summer to strengthen the aging squad, and in doing so has drafted in several ‘forgotten’ players on loan who could set the league alight given the opportunity. Malaga are 5/4 to drop straight back down and 5/1 to hit rock bottom, but 6/1 on a top half finish seems the far better bet.