Free European football tips for Sunday's La Liga, Ligue 1 & Serie A games

Free European football tips, best bets and predictions for Sunday's matches in La Liga, Ligue 1 and Serie A.

Best European bets

Real Betis
2pts 9-5 bet365, Betfair
Bordeaux
3pts 13-10 Betfair, Betway, BoyleSports
Torino
2pts 17-10 general

Sunday preview

Espanyol v Real Betis

Premier 2, 3pm Sunday

Don’t read too much into Espanyol’s home defeat by CSKA Moscow in the Europa League on Thursday, but do read plenty into every other negative headline written about the Budgies this season.

With their place in the last 32 assured, under-pressure boss Pablo Machin sent out the reserves against CSKA and the Spanish side duly lost 1-0. He said there was plenty of pride shown, though the lack of quality was alarming.

That side, however, will bear no resemblance to the one he sends out against Betis in a quest to arrest the slide which has seen the Catalan club slump to the bottom of La Liga.

The problem is that Machin’s first team simply aren't very good at the moment, have yet to win at home this season and have to be worth taking on at home to Betis.

Machin is under colossal pressure – Chinese owner Chen Yansheng has jetted in to heap more scrutiny on a manager who was appointed only in October – and Betis represent seriously dangerous adversaries.

Good enough to draw 0-0 at Real Madrid last month, they have won three in a row while Rubi’s side are unbeaten in five against Espanyol. They won 3-1 there last season.

Bordeaux v Strasbourg

BT Sport 3, 2pm Sunday

Bordeaux saw their push up the Ligue 1 table halted last week when they lost 3-1 at Marseille, but they can get back to winning ways at home to inconsistent Strasbourg.

Les Girondins were unbeaten in six games prior to visiting Marseille, where they took a 1-0 lead before succumbing in the second half.

It wasn’t a bad effort from Paulo Sousa’s side, but they will be far more confident back at the Matmut-Atlantique where they have won four in a row culminating in a 6-0 drubbing of Nimes.

Strasbourg have failed to score in eight of their last nine away games in all competitions. Incredibly, in the only match they did find the net they did so four times in a 4-0 win at Amiens – though that result says more about Amiens than Strasbourg.

Coach Thierry Laurey will head west with a defensive mindset but Bordeaux boast the firepower to inflict another defeat on the visitors.

Verona v Torino

Premier 1, 11.30am Sunday

Pre-season expectations of a European push haven’t materialised for Torino but they might just be starting to click through the gears.

Walter Mazzarri has been under enormous pressure over his side’s poor start but back-to-back wins over Genoa and Fiorentina have at least vaulted them into the top half of Serie A.

They can complete the hat-trick at Verona, who are struggling to score goals, have failed to win eight of their last 11 league games at home and have Polish centre-back Pawel Dawidowicz suspended.

Torino star Simone Zaza, under pressure to inspire while Andrea Belotti is out, scored against the Viola last week and his club have won their last two away matches.

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