La Liga Preview: Bottom can smash through top's defences

Lionel Messi is green with envy at the amount of space opposition attackers are given at Camp Nou

Barcelona are missing Victor Valdes and Tobias Gourlay thinks that even bottom-of-the-table Deportivo La Coruna can exploit their flimsy defence

Barcelona v Deportivo La Coruna
Saturday 19:00 (Live on Sky Sports 4)
Barcelona 1.152/13 Depor 23.022/1 draw 10.5n/a

Without Tito Vilanova, Barcelona have lost three of their last four matches.

Vilanova's stand-in, Jordi Roura, must do without first-choice stopper Victor Valdes this weekend and might make further changes with Tuesday's Champions League game in mind.

But Deportivo La Coruna are hardly in Real Madrid's - or even AC Milan's - class. The Galicians are bottom of the table and the best that can be said for them is that despite not winning an away game all season they have scored in 11/13 of them.

The absence of Riki is a concern - he's been shooting more regularly than anyone except Ronaldo and Messi, say Opta - but the team trend tallies nicely with Barca's record of conceding at least once in 12/13 Liga games anywhere and 8/9 at Camp Nou.

Recommended Bet
Back Both Teams to Score @ 2.01/1

Celta Vigo v Real Madrid
Sunday 18:00 (Live on Sky Sports 1)
Celta 8.415/2 Real 1.4640/85 draw 4.94/1

You'll recall that Real Madrid were in midweek action. So there will be some bit-parters taking lead roles this weekend.

Even with the first team starting most games Real have won less than half of their Liga away games this season (W5-D2-L6). Among those five wins only two have come by more than the odd goal.

Celta tend to play a tight game at Balaidos - 9/12 have ended with Under 2.5 Goals - and Abel Resino is unlikely to go all-out against one of the Big Two.

The Sky Blues have not lost by more than a single goal in any of their 12 home games so far.

Recommended Bet
Back Celta Vigo +1.0 & +1.5 @ 2.01/1

Atletico Madrid v Real Sociedad
Sunday 20:00 (Live on Sky Sports 1)
Atletico 1.528/15 Sociedad 7.06/1 draw 4.67/2

Atletico Madrid have won 13/13 home matches while Real Sociedad have lost 12/16 away matches against top-six teams.

The result looks clear-cut, but at these prices we're ready to punt into the wind. Ignore the Big Two and Sociedad have the best goals per away game record in La Liga (20 in 12, 18 in the last eight).

Atletico have won to nil in eight straight at the Vicente Calderon, but the margins have tightened: just 1-0 in the most recent two.

Since a 5-1 defeat to Barcelona on the opening day of the season, Sociedad have lost 1/25 by more than a single goal. The Basques are chasing a first Champions League appearance for a decade and look as well equipped as anyone outside the Big Two to put a dent in Atletico's perfect record.

Recommended Bet
Back Sociedad +1.0 @ 2.01/1

Real Zaragoza v Granada
Monday 19:30 (Live on Sky Sports Xtra)
Zaragoza 2.166/5 Granada 3.9n/a draw 3.45n/a

Opta's noticed that Zaragoza have taken three points from this fixture in each of its last five runnings. To do so once more, they must snap a winless streak of nine.

Might they also have to come from behind?

Manolo Jimenez's men have conceded first in 5/7 at the Romareda, while Granada have notched before half-time in each of their five games under Lucas Alcaraz.

On four of those five occasions they have beaten the oppo to land the first punch.

Recommended Bet
Back Granada Next Goal @ 2.56/4