Las Palmas vs Valladolid

Valladolid have a route into this match that their away record does not show. Las Palmas have been losing the ball in places that expose their defense, and their coach has called out an uncertain press. The quick links Valladolid built through Arnu and Víctor Jr against Córdoba make those particular gaps the point of this call.

Two games where I think the goals dry up. Las Palmas are short of forwards and Valladolid rarely get into shootouts away from home. In Ireland against Israel, one side has barely scored in this group and the other keeps lots of clean sheets. Both reads come down to attacks that struggle to produce, and that is what I am backing.

Neither side looks able to carry much attacking threat here. Las Palmas are reported to be missing up to eleven players, most of them forwards and midfielders, and Valladolid have barely scored on their travels. My read is that this is a cagey game where the real question is whether either team can create enough, and I lean towards them struggling to.

Las Palmas have had plenty of the ball without consistently making good chances, and their reshuffled midfield now meets a Valladolid side creating sharper openings. The missing players matter most in the spaces between midfield and defense, where Las Palmas have already struggled to protect themselves. Valladolid's recent chance creation gives them a way to make those spaces count. That matchup is the reason for this slip.

Both teams turn up in Gran Canaria with their attacks badly stripped. Valladolid have left their main creator, Luis Chacon, out of the squad along with three other forwards. Las Palmas have lost Sandro, Ale Garcia and Viti up front, and Inaki Gonzalez is suspended. My read is a tight, low-chance game where at least one of these two sides finds it hard to score.