Picks and Predictions for La Liga Round 35 (May 6-8, 2022)

The Madrid Derby takes center stage in La Liga this weekend, as Atletico hosts Real at the Wanda Metropolitano on Sunday, May 8. Keep reading to discover my Atletico Madrid vs. Real Madrid prediction.

Round 35 kicks off this Friday, with Levente and Real Sociedad going head-to-head in Valencia. You can find all of my Round 35 La Liga predictions below, along with a handful of top La Liga picks for this weekend.

Before we get stuck into my picks and predictions for La Liga Round 35, we need to assess the La Liga betting odds. The prices below are courtesy of Betway.

As you can see, Atletico is favored to win the Madrid Derby. Although Carlo Ancelotti’s men have already wrapped up the title, they will be exhausted after throwing everything at Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Elsewhere, Betway expects Barcelona to beat Real Betis. The bookmakers also favor Real Sociedad to win on the road. There are eight home favorites for Round 35, but which underdogs will upset the La Liga odds this weekend?

Below, I take an in-depth look at three standout clashes before providing the rest of my La Liga predictions for Round 35. Let’s kick things off with my Athletic Bilbao vs. Valencia prediction.

Athletic Bilbao claimed a hugely impressive 2-0 victory over Atletico Madrid in Round 34. Thanks to last weekend’s triumph, Marcelino’s men have won three of their last five La Liga games. They have also lost just one of their previous six.

On the flip side, Valencia heads into Round 35 on a six-game winless run across all competitions. Having lost the Copa del Rey final to Real Betis last month, the Bats have nothing left to play for this term.

Although Valencia trails Athletic by just two places in the La Liga table, the gap between the teams stands at eight points. For that reason, I expect the Lions to extend their winning streak to three games this weekend.

Whatever happens between now and the end of the season, Sevilla has enjoyed a successful campaign. Having lost only four of their 34 matches, Julen Lopetegui’s boys sit third in the standings – two points behind second-place Barcelona.

Despite giving everything against Liverpool on Tuesday, Villarreal bowed out of the Champions League after suffering a 5-2 aggregate defeat in the semi-finals. Can they bounce back this weekend?

Not only have Unai Emery’s men lost each of their last three games in all competitions, but they have also lost four of their previous eight La Liga encounters. That’s why I’m backing stubborn Sevilla to win this one.

Real Madrid comes into Round 35 on the back of a dramatic UCL triumph over Man City. Trailing 5-3 on aggregate with only a handful of minutes left, Rodrygo bagged a quickfire brace to send the tie into extra-time.

Unsurprisingly, Karim Benzema scored the winner on Wednesday – netting his 43rd goal in as many games this season. The question is – will Ancelotti give Benzema and co. a well-deserved rest after their midweek heroics?

Diego Simeone’s boys invariably rise to the occasion of El Derbi, especially on home soil. With that in mind, I can see them getting the better of a much-changed Real Madrid outfit at the Wanda Metropolitano.

I’m backing Real Sociedad, Barcelona, Rayo Vallecano, and Osasuna to secure road wins this weekend, as they all have favorable fixtures. Elsewhere, I expect both Mallorca vs. Granada and Cadiz vs. Elche to end in a draw.

Sixth-place Real Sociedad leads last-place Levante by a whopping 30 points. With that in mind, odds of 2.30 for Sociedad to beat Levante are too generous to ignore.

The Madrid Derby is always a spicy encounter, so I expect Atletico and Real to dish up at least three goals between them. It is worth noting that all of Real’s past six games have produced over 2.5 goals.

If betting on European soccer is your thing, be sure to check out my Serie A and Bundesliga predictions and picks for this weekend.