European football: betting tips for La Liga, Ligue 1, Bundesliga & Serie A

Best bets, predictions and analysis for the weekend's La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1 action.

Best bets

Under 2.5 goals in Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid Saturday 8pm
2pts 8-11 bet365

Stuttgart or draw double chance Saturday 2.30pm
1pt 8-5 Betway, Hills

Lille Sunday 4.30pm
2pts 8-11 general

Match previews

Atletico Madrid remain the only side yet to lose in La Liga this season and bookmakers have installed Diego Simeone's men as favourites for the title.

Atleti have eight wins and two draws from their ten assignments this season and crucial as ever to their fine form has been a watertight defence.

They have conceded only two La Liga goals in 2020-21, winning to nil in each of their last four league games against Cadiz, Barcelona, Valencia and Real Valladolid.

But although they may be the form side, Real Madrid have been an unpredictable beast this season and a bet on under 2.5 goals in a tense Madrid derby could be the way to go instead.

There have been no more than two goals in five of Real's last six fixtures in all competitions, including their 2-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach in midweeek, and another low-scoring contest could be on the cards.

Stuttgart have shown no fear upon their return to the top flight in Germany and they could be playing Borussia Dortmund at the right time this weekend.

Pellegrino Matarazzo's side, who gained promotion from Bundesliga 2 last term, are nestled in the mid-table positions after avoiding defeat against established Bayer Leverkusen, Eintracht Frankfurt, Hertha Berlin and Hoffenheim this season.

They also pushed Bayern Munich close in a 3-1 defeat, opening the scoring in that contest and winning the shot count 15-14, and they will take on a Dortmund side with plenty of defensive deficiencies.

Lucien Favre's men edged Zenit St Petersburg in the Champions League in midweek but prior to that they had failed to beat Cologne, Lazio and Eintracht Frankfurt.

Favre seems unsure of his best defensive system and formation, and given they could be fatigued by the trip to Russia, Stuttgart could be worth a bet in the double chance market.

Lille lost their final game of the Europa League group stage but progressed to the knockout stage nonetheless and can now turn their attention back to Ligue 1.

And they have excelled domestically this season, losing only one of their 13 league assignments and they trail leaders Paris Saint-Germain by a solitary point.

Lille withstood late pressure to overpower Monaco 2-1 last time out and look a value odds-on shot against Bordeaux this weekend.

They have managed 24 goals already in Ligue 1 this season thanks to a strikeforce comprising Yusuf Yazici, Jonathan David and Jonathan Bamba and with Bordeaux having lost convincingly to Monaco and Montpellier recently, Lille can come out on top.