Thursday 29 December predictions: After Premier League and Ligue 1, La Liga and the Turkish Super Lig are also on the pitch.
La Liga follows closely behind Premier League and Ligue 1 and is the third major league in Europe to restart after the long World Cup break. In Spain, play resumes in the run-up to New Year’s Eve with an unusual midweek fixture spread over three days.
The fifteenth day’s programme opens with the challenge between the newly promoted Girona and the surprising Rayo Vallecano, now stable on the left side of the table. A draw cannot be ruled out, in a match with less than three goals in total. More spectacle is expected in a very important challenge in the Champions League zone between Betis and Athletic Bilbao. Simeone’s Atletico Madrid, who have made a poor start to the season, are also on the pitch: against Elche, three points are a must.
Ligue 1 and other leagues predictions
In Ligue 1 before the World Cup stoppage time, Marseille had managed to turn the page immediately after the dreadful disappointment of finishing last in the Champions League group, which effectively cut short the European adventure of Igor Tudor’s men, who ended up out of it all. Two victories in a row had come against Lyon and Monaco, direct competitors for two of the first three places (the first one seems to be already booked by Psg). Thanks to the six points won in November, OM is back in fourth place, just one length behind third-placed Rennes. And with no more European commitments, it remains one of the main candidates to finish in second place behind the highly favoured Psg.
Second place is currently occupied by Lens. If the Giallorossi’s team is so high it is mainly thanks to the five consecutive victories with which they had closed the first part of the season. An impressive state of form that also continued in the two friendlies played in recent weeks against Le Havre and Reims. Against an uninspiring Nice side also struggling with the Ramsey affair, a positive result is well within reach.
Betting: the Seer’s Choice
- Rennes win or draw and at least two goals overall in Reims-Rennes, Ligue 1, 7pm
Winners
- Besiktas (in Besiktas-Adana Demirspor, Super Lig, 6pm)
- Aletico Madrid (in Atletico Madrid-Elche, La Liga, 21:30)
Marseille (in Marseille-Toulouse, Ligue 1, 21:00)
The matches with at least three goals in total
- Sassuolo-Inter, Friendly, 5pm
- Besiktas-Adana Demirspor, Super Lig, 18:00
- Peterborough-Milton Keynes Dons, League One, 8.45pm
- Sporting CP-Pacos Ferreira, Primeira Liga, 22:15
The matches with at least one goal per team
- Real Betis-Athletic Bilbao, La Liga, 7.15pm
- Nice-Lens, Ligue 1, 21:00
- Bradford-Harrogate Town, League Two, 8.45pm
The sensational
A tie (in Girona v Rayo Vallecano, La Liga, 5pm)