🔊 Can the "Pepineros" seize the chance to stay in the top flight? One of the main storylines of La Liga's final round is unfolding at the bottom of the table. Leganes, still holding onto their survival hopes, face Valladolid at Butarque. Borja Jimenez's side need nothing less than a victory. Given Valladolid's lackluster performances, bookmakers predict a convincing win for the home team, with odds set at 1.3.

Head-to-Head

📊 Last August, the teams couldn't determine a winner at “José Zorrilla” (0-0). Interestingly, the last three official encounters ended in draws. Valladolid's previous away victory against Leganés in Spain's top division dates back to the 2019/20 season (2-1).

Leganes Team Overview

🔵 Borja Jiménez's squad is pulling out all the stops to secure their spot in La Liga for next season. Over the last six rounds, the "Pepineros" have suffered just one defeat, falling to Villarreal (0-3). In their previous match, Dani Raba's goal in the 6th minute secured a crucial victory for Leganés against Las Palmas (1-0). Their well-executed counter-attacking strategy left their opponents bewildered. Currently, Leganés trail the safety of 17th place by just two points, making a win this coming Saturday imperative. Notably, at Butarque, Leganés have collected the majority of their points—22 from 18 games.

❗ The most dangerous player in the Leganés lineup is Dani Raba. This season, the 29-year-old has already scored 8 goals and provided 6 assists (with an xG of 7.01 and xA of 5.98). Interestingly, his contract with the "Pepineros" is set to expire this summer, leaving his future at the club highly uncertain.

Real Valladolid Team Overview

🟣 Following their 0-1 defeat to Alaves, Valladolid's winless streak has now stretched to 18 consecutive matches. Managerial failures, organizational chaos, and an unbalanced squad have been key factors in the team's latest relegation to the Segunda Division. Particularly disheartening is Valladolid's performance in away fixtures, where they've managed just 3 points from 18 games— the worst record in the league. Their sole success on the road came last October in a clash against Alaves, which they won 3-2.

❗ Valladolid's standout asset is Raúl Moro, the team's top scorer with 4 goals and 5 assists across 32 La Liga matches. The 22-year-old winger's exceptional technique and vision make him the leader in average key passes per game, delivering 1.71 assists that set up teammates for shots.

Latest news

Leganes

🎙 Following the 1-0 victory over Las Palmas, Borja Jiménez spoke to the press: “I'm pleased we managed to secure the win. It was a tense and lackluster match for the spectators. With so much pressure and inaccuracies... The mood significantly impacts you, and you're compelled to win. We have 40 points in our hands, which usually guarantees safety, but this year it seems like it will cost more. I'm not worried about Las Palmas lacking motivation in their upcoming match against Espanyol. I'm convinced they will strive to win to maintain their honor and dignity, just as they did today. We're still in the fight; we must push until the very last second and reach 40 points. We're confident that with those 40 points, we can secure our place.”

❌ Among Leganés' injured players are Borna Barišić (knee injury), Darko Brašanac (leg injury), Enric Franquesa (knee injury), Iván Neyu (leg injury), and Valentin Rosier (leg injury).

Real Valladolid

🎙 Álvaro Rubio expressed his dissatisfaction with his team's recent setback last weekend, highlighting key issues: “In the first half, we lacked the intensity required against a team that fully understands this. It was a disastrous first half. In the second half, we improved and regained some control over the ball, which allowed us to focus on our attack. There are no excuses; we did everything wrong. Everyone needs to reflect because it's everyone's responsibility. The ultimate responsibility falls on me. I'm saddened by what we displayed in the first half. This is not the image we wanted to project, especially in front of our fans.”

🎤 He also mentioned Anuar, who announced he will leave the club next summer: “He has earned universal respect and affection. Part of the motivation we should have had was for him, and that makes me a bit upset with him, but it in no way diminishes the sacrifice he made for the club.”

❌ Real Valladolid's injury list remains extensive. The sidelined players include Joseph Aidoo, Chuki, Stanko Juric, Javier Sanchez, and David Torres.

🟨 Yellow Card Prediction

🟨 Yellow Card Prediction

It's worth noting that matches involving Leganés this season have seen around 4.1 yellow cards on average. In 5 of their last 7 games, there have been no more than 4 bookings. A similar trend is evident in Valladolid's last 7 matches. Given these observations, a reasonable betting option is total yellow cards under 4.5.

⚽️ Goal Prediction

Our team does not anticipate a high-scoring affair. In 5 of their last 7 head-to-head meetings, there were no more than 2 goals. It's also important to note the disappointing attacking efficiency of both teams this season: Leganés average about 1 goal per match, while Valladolid manage just 0.7. Thus, a rational bet is total goals under 3.

🚩 Corner Prediction

Both teams frequently concede possession to maintain compactness and avoid gaps in their lines (Leganés – 42%, Valladolid – 43%). In 8 of their last 9 head-to-head encounters, there have been no more than 10 corners. Additionally, the average number of corners in matches involving these teams this season is noteworthy: Leganés with 9.4 and Valladolid with 9.3. Our editorial choice is total corners under 9.5.

The head-to-head encounters between these teams consistently result in low-scoring affairs. Given Valladolid's lackluster scoring performance this season, there seems little reason to expect the upcoming match to be any different. We're opting for a cautious bet on under 3 goals total.