Monday Football Tips: Cards expected in Spanish Euro chase

Real Betis v Granada
Monday 10 May, 20:00
Live on LaLiga TV and Betfair Live Video

Monday's La Liga game is all about the chase for European football next season.

Real Betis will go sixth with a win, while Granada, quarter-finalists in this season's Europa League, are essentially in the last-chance saloon. Victory here is pretty much essential if they are to reel in the teams above them including, of course, Betis.

Essentially a competitive, hard-fought game is to be expected and with both sides in the bottom five of the fair-play table - they've had 13 players sent off between them - there's good reason to expect cards.

Referee Cesar Soto Grado could be better but he's still averaging well over four per game and it's also worth noting that he's shown 26 yellow cards and one red to Granada players in six games over the past two seasons.

That said, over 50 booking points is still quite a mark for him to hit at odds of 6/5 so preference is to focus on the 'shown a card' market.

There certainly looks more value here with Nehuen Perez overpriced at 11/4.

The Granada centre-back has picked up a card in seven of his 15 starts this season, including the only game in which he's been refereed by Soto Grado.

Perez has started the last three games, including last week's win at Barcelona, but as that low starts tally suggests, he's not been first choice when everyone is fit and there's potential for Domingos Duarte to return here.

With this in mind, it's worth also noting German Sanchez's card record as there's a good case to be made for him to be booked too.

Perez's fellow centre-back has picked up more cards than any other Granada player this season - 17 in 40 starts across all competitions. He was sent off by Soto Grado in that only previous meeting of the ref and Granada this season, while last term he was booked in this very fixture by Soto Grado.

A price of 21/10 seems more than fair and is worth backing if Perez fails to make the starting XI.

The cash-out option is offered in this market so you can easily bet now and then choose to get your money back if you check the teams and your player hasn't made the starting XI.

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