Monday 16 April 2018 09:21, UK
The pendulum has swung back towards Rob Palmer on the #RevistaPredictor this week - as David Garrido reports...
One point, eight points, four points... the gap between the top two in the Predictor is still pretty tight after Matchday 32 in La Liga, and this week, Rob hit back with two correct scorelines.
MATCH 1 - SEVILLA 2-2 VILLARREAL
This was the match that caught everyone out - four of the so-called "experts" went for home wins, with David Phillips the only dissenter and backing Villarreal, and he was on for at least the right match outcome at half-time with Dani Raba having scored the visitors' opener at the Sanchez Pizjuan.
After Wissam Ben Yedder's sending off for double dissent, Carlos Bacca then doubled Villarreal's lead, but the match turned in six mad minutes. First, Jaume Costa was given his second yellow card for handball in the box, and although Nolito missed his penalty, he made amends just a minute later, and Steven N'Zonzi's piledriver made it 2-2.
Absolutely breathless, but so very Sevilla, whose winless run extends to six games in all competitions since their memorable win at Old Trafford, but unwittingly their comeback actually helped cross-city rivals Real Betis, because it denied Villarreal all three points and therefore Betis strengthen their hold on fifth place. For Villarreal, it's three wins in 13 in league and cup since the start of February, but at least their next three games are at home.
MATCH 2 - BARCELONA 2-1 VALENCIA
Three of our pundits got the exactly correct scoreline here - Rob Palmer, Jon Driscoll and Kevin Keatings - but it could have been so different. Philippe Coutinho assisted both of the Barcelona goals, the first a delightful pass in between full-back and centre-back for Luis Suarez to beat Neto at his near post, giving myself and David Phillips six points for identifying the first goalscorer, and the second a corner for Samuel Umtiti to do likewise.
But had Rodrigo converted either of his chances in either half, the momentum may have switched. Dani Parejo's late penalty was only mere consolation as Valencia's unbeaten run ends, and this result coupled with Real Madrid's win by the same scoreline at Malaga mean that those two teams switch places.
For Barcelona, despite those scares, they have now set a new record for the longest unbeaten streak in La Liga - 39 games and counting - and they are now just six matches away from an invincible league campaign in 2017/18. Their next game is a potential banana skin though, as they travel to Celta Vigo, where they lost 4-3 last season.
MATCH 3 - EIBAR 0-1 ALAVES
This Basque derby did not disappoint and the game was better than the scoreline suggests. Spot on once again from Rob, the only man to back the visitors for the victory and it came courtesy of loan signing John Guidetti, although no first goalscorer points dished out here, after excellent work down the left from Ruben Sobrino.
Eibar were much stronger in the second half with a string of good chances but could not find the equaliser, so they are now winless in six games, losing four of the last five. For Alaves, Abelardo has won 10 of his 19 La Liga matches in charge, compared to two wins in 13 before his arrival. Their survival is virtually assured, which is some achievement given their horrendous start to the season. They are currently 15th, but if results went their way in midweek, they could even find themselves 11th.
Here are the overall standings:
As for you out there on Twitter, thank you for your predictions and here are the top three:
@Charterz_ picked up eight points for correct scorelines at the Sanchez Pizjuan and the Camp Nou, @AlexLufc1919 earned himself seven points or getting Luis Suarez as first goalscorer in the Barcelona-Valencia game and the Barca win, while @d0nge got six points for Suarez alone.
Next 3 games are all Thursday fixtures, so they will be out on Wednesday on Twitter so make sure you keep across @SkyRevista.
