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Monday Football Tips: Back 9/1 fouls combo as Sociedad host Villarreal

San Sebastian stadium will host Real Sociedad v Villarreal on Monday
Back a 9/1 fouls double on Real Sociedad v Villarreal in La Liga on Monday

Paul Higham likes the look of a 9/110.00 OddsBoost for Monday's Real Sociedad v Villarreal game in La Liga - with Martin Zubamendi part of the focus...

  • Both teams had mixed form ahead of winter break

  • Fouls the way to go in what could be scrappy La Liga affair

  • Back 9/110.00 fouls OddsBoost on the Sportsbook


Betfair's Football Superboost!

Cody Gakpo (v Nottingham Forest) is the main man for our Tuesday Superboost with the 8:00pm kick off one of the feature games of the mid-week action seeing a top of the table clash.

Gakpo averages 1.09 shots on target per 90 mins this season and has had at least 1 SOT in 7 out of 11 fixtures this season. Only Mohammed Salah (21) has scored more goals for Liverpool than Gakpo (12) this season for the reds.

We just need him to have a single shot on target for the Superboost to land and the selection has been boosted from 1/21.50 to 1/12.00.


Real Sociedad vs Villarreal
Monday 13 January, 20:00 kick-off
Live on Premier Sports

It's been a mixed bag of results for both eighth-placed Real Sociedad and fifth-placed Villarreal, who lead their opponents by five points heading into Monday night's clash in San Sebastian.

Both of them would have welcomed the winter break - Villarreal at least ending a sticky spell of no win in five games with a thumping win at Leganes, while Sociedad saw a promising run ended by a draw and defeat at mid-table Las Palmas and Celta Vigo.

Sociedad are the third lowest scorers in the league and I'm always a bit wary of backing goals or match results after winter breaks - who knows how much these players celebrated over the festive season!

So, instead, let's look at fouls, and what looks a nice OddsBoost on the Sportsbook....

Leg 1: Pape Gueye 2+ fouls

When browsing the disciplinary stats, Senegal midfielder pops up as having two bookings in the last three games, that's come from three of his last four containing two fouls as well.

He's had just three other multiple fouls games across the rest of the season so before Christmas he was just in a nice run (for us) after getting a bit too physical in matches.

Throw in a tough away game in San Sebastian, where the fans are always hyped up and where Sociedad have beaten Barcelona recently, and those are ideal conditions for another 2+ fouls game.

Leg 2: Martin Zubamendi 2+ fouls

Much talked about midfielder Martin Zubamendia is fourth on the team in terms of fouls, but I was looking to back him for a number of factors - including more increased speculation surrounding his future.

So back after the winter break, with a point to prove, at home and with his team needing a win - those are also nice conditions for us to back Zubamendi for 2+ fouls in this OddsBoost.

He's had six multiple foul games this season, with two of those coming in his last two home games - so that's another positive driving this bet.


Now read more Football tips and previews here.


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Column P/L 2024/25

Staked: 180pts
Returned: 191.65pts
2024/25 P/L: +11.65pts

2023/24 P/L: +16.78pts
2022/23 P/L: +68.69pts

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