Having endured an uncomfortable period following back-to-back away defeats at Getafe and Sevilla respectively, Real Madrid finally got their first win on the road this season by beating Rayo Vallecano on Monday night.
Their next match sees the champions host a Deportivo side who lost their unbeaten status also on Monday, going down 2-0 at home to Sevilla.
This is a match that Madrid would expect to win comfortably, and the odds reflect this with pricing Los Blancos at 11/100 (1.11) to record a win. Deportivo, meanwhile, can be backed at 20/1 (21.00), while the draw is offered at 15/2 (8.50).
Despite the odds being heavily stacked against them, the Galicians are not a bad side, and have reinforced their squad intelligently on their return to the top flight of Spanish football.
Given the city of La Coruna’s relative proximity to Portugal, it is perhaps hardly surprising that they have reinforced with players from their neighbouring country, namely strikers Nelson Oliveira and Pizzi both joining in the summer and scoring twice already.
While Madrid should win the match, there is no reason why Depor cannot score at the Bernabeu, something they have done in four of their last five trips to the venue. The hosts have already conceded goals to Valencia, Getafe, and Sevilla in the league, with each one of the sides scoring at least once from a set-piece.
Madrid’s apparent inability to defend free kicks and corners could well be exploited by a Depor side who are noticeably tall; Riki, Nelson Oliveira and Abel Aguilar some of the more notable players who are over 6 feet in height.
The price of 13/10 (2.30) for both teams to score then looks to offer serious value, as Madrid should have no problem in finding the net, so it is well worth some serious consideration.
For a value bet, try backing a correct score of 3-1 to Madrid, available at 10/1 (11.00), with this bet paying out in two of the last five games between the sides at the Bernabeu.
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Phil Kitromilides is a sports broadcaster working on radio and TV in London and Madrid. You can also follow Phil on Twitter.