La Liga is back from the international break with a busy weekend, ahead as surprise leaders Girona aim to hold onto their advantage at the top. Barcelona and Real Madrid both play away with fresh injury problems to negotiate, after a bruising fortnight for some of La Liga’s biggest stars.
There’s the potential for a number of tight games on matchday 14 but there are also a few games that should serve up goals. Here’s a look at four matches that should see over 1.5 goals scored.
La Liga Over 1.5 goals betting: Weekend games
Valencia vs Celta Vigo
We start at Mestalla where Celta Vigo are hoping for a change of luck with the Galicians furious at the number of decisions that have gone against them in recent weeks. Despite his reputation as a defensive coach, Rafa Benitez has not found any solutions for a leaky Celta defence with only two sides conceding more than them in La Liga this season.
Celta do create chances though, and were involved in a 4-3 thriller in Bilbao last time out while Valencia shipped five goals at the Santiago Bernabeu in their last game. There should be gaps for both teams to exploit in the final third here and this looks like a good starting point in the La Liga over 1.5 goal market this weekend.
Atletico Madrid vs Mallorca
The Civitas Metropolitano has been a good place to go for goals this season with three or more in every one of Atletico Madrid’s home league matches. Atleti are averaging 2.67 goals per game in front of their own fans but it’s surprising to note that Diego Simeone’s team are yet to keep a home clean sheet this season in La Liga.
It’s hard to see this Mallorca side keeping in-form duo Alvaro Morata and Antoine Griezmann quiet for long. The Balearic side are down in 17th place and they’ve struggled to replicate the solid defensive foundations that fired them to a mid-table finish last term. They let in five in their only away match so far against top four opposition when they travelled to Girona in September.
Villarreal vs Osasuna
Villarreal have been one of the most entertaining teams to watch this season from a neutral perspective, but followers of the Yellow Submarine may not agree. Champions League semi-finalists in 2022, they’ve paid the price for cashing in on a host of key players and their defence has been very poor this term with only Granada and Almeria letting in more goals in La Liga.
They do have a new boss, their third of the season with Marcelino replacing Pacheta only last week. He'll be looking forward to working with Gerard Moreno who is currently in great form up top. It’s unlikely he’ll be able to instantly improve matters at the back though.
Every one of Osasuna’s away games so far in La Liga 2023/24 has produced two or more goals and the same can be said of every Villarreal home game. Therefore this feels like a strong candidate for anyone interested in the La Liga over 1.5 goals betting market this weekend.
Girona vs Athletic Bilbao
Monday night’s game comes from Montilivi, where Girona and Athletic Bilbao meet in a top six showdown that also promises goals. Free-scoring Girona are top of the table and top of the scoring charts with 31 scored in their opening 13 matches. Summer signings Savio and Artem Dovbyk continue to shine but Athletic will feel they have the pace to hit them on the break.
With brothers Nico and Iñaki Williams operating on either flank, they have quality out wide and they are averaging just shy of two goals per game themselves this term while 85% of Athletic’s matches have produced two or more goals in total.
See all our other La Liga betting tips.
