What next for the greatest footballer on the planet?

By Guest Writer
Updated: 12 December, 2012

For some time now all the best football tips in the world have been talking about when, not if, La Liga’s Lionel Messi would break Gerd Mueller’s tally of 85 goals in a calendar year- set in 1972 (that’s goals for club and country). The 25-year-old Argentine only went and got a brace last weekend, and broke the record but what lies ahead for La Liga in the next round of matches?

For the record Messi’s goals breaks down as follows, 74 came inside the box and 12 outside, while 74 went off his left foot, eight off his right and a mere three were headers.

Next up for Barcelona and Messi is a home match against Atlético Madrid. This match and the football tip should be all about the league table as Atlético are sitting in second place, just six points behind their hosts, but such is Barca’s dominance on the league this season and Messi’s prolificacy in front of goal that the football tips are all a chatter about the home side and their star striker. That game kicks off on Sunday, but the football tips all point towards a home win.

Before Sunday’s top of the table clash we have a glut of games on Friday. One that caught my football tips eye was Getafe V Osasuna. This is another game that should be all about the home side as Getafe are nine places and ten points better off than their opponents. The football tips may reckon that Osasuna are a relegated team walking already but Joseba Llorente is confident Osasuna are capable of avoiding the relegation zone. He may have a point as the situation at the club is not as bad as it was a few weeks ago, “The situation is not as chaotic as it was a month ago. Because then no one saw the light.” He said. Light being seen or not, the football tips still fancy Getafe.

We also have the joys of Malaga travelling to Sevilla, that’s Malaga who went fourth after thumping Granada 4-0 last weekend. Malaga may well be at the right end of the table and be the best place team outside the big three, but they have only won two away games all season. Sevilla, who are a solid mid-table side will provide a tough test for Malaga and my football tip is to bet against the table and on Sevilla, a side who have only lost twice at home all season.

No La Liga preview would be complete without some word on the “other” side in Spain. Real Madrid host Espanyol and can’t afford to let slip any more points. Madrid currently trail Barcelona by eleven points in Spain’s top flight, and as second-placed Atletico Madrid travel to Barcelona next Sunday, Madrid can close that gap on one or both of the top two by beating Espanyol at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. They should have no problem as Struggling Espanyol squandered a chance to climb out of the relegation places when they conceded a goal in added time to draw 2-2 at home to Sevilla in La Liga last Friday, they are 19th in La Liga on 11 points from 15 matches and most football tips have them to go down.

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