WELCOME BACK THE EVER PREDICTABLE LA LIGA!

WELCOME BACK THE EVER PREDICTABLE LA LIGA!

So La Liga is back but not quite in the way we all expected.

Until the saviours of week 1, Eibar, put three past a disappointing Granada side, we were looking at the worst ever weekend in the Spanish top flight in terms of goals scored.

1971 and 1985 still hold the unenviable record of having a week where just 11 goals were scored across ten fixtures. Only eight had been netted before the Monday night fixture at Los Carmenes!

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the weekend wasn’t just the fact that Real Madrid had opened with a draw at newly promoted Sporting Gijon, but that the hosts were full value for their draw. Indeed, were it not for the smallest of margins, Antonio Sanabria would’ve give Sporting all three points.

As luck would have it, Real have the chance to avenge such disappointment against another promoted side, Real Betis. Only twice in the last decade have the Andalusians managed to beat their more illustrious rivals and both wins have come at the Estadio Benito Villamarin.

Ominously for Pepe Mel’s side, in five of the last seven meetings, Real have scored at least three.

Leaders Eibar take on Athletic Club de Bilbao in a magnificent Basque derby to christen the little Ipurua Stadium for 2015/16. When I say little, I mean minuscule in La Liga terms. Eibar have recently upgraded the stadium…to a 6,600 capacity!!

Champions Barcelona host Malaga, the only side who managed to stop them from scoring in their treble-winning season. Javi Gracia knows exactly what it takes to stop the Blaugrana juggernaut, his Malaga side full value for their four points gained from Barca in 2014/15.

Although their main scorer Juanmi has departed for Southampton, Los Boquerones won’t be a pushover for Barca, who still have a patched up back line to contend with.

Colossus has two La Liga games as part of its pools this week.

First up is  Sevilla v Atletico Madrid

You’d have to back the visitors to score, but it won’t be enough to get them an important away win.

Take either a 1-1 draw or a hard-fought 2-1 home win for your coupon.

The Anoeta Stadium in San Sebastian provides the setting for the other Colossus selection this week.

David Moyes can be satisfied with how his team played away at Deportivo La Coruna in week one, however a point wasn’t really good enough for a Sociedad side that dominated their hosts for long periods.

New signing Jonathas, a £7m capture from relegated Elche, was particularly lively and unlucky not to break his scoring duck.

Carlos Vela can provide the creativity to unlock the door here but Abelardo’s Sporting have already shown that they have the tools to negate any forward momentum from their opposition.

It’s worth dwelling on just how well the team from El Molinon played against Real Madrid after the first 20 minute onslaught.

During 2014/15, Sporting lost just twice which was the best record in the top three divisions in Spain. Whilst this is, of course, a step up in class, Abelardo will ensure that his young side – the youngest in La Liga – fight tooth and nail for every point.

Moyes and co certainly haven’t got a comfortable ride for their home opener. Sociedad have to be particularly careful of the raiding from the full back areas of Isma Lopez and Alberto Lora.