Football Bet of the Day: Ruben Selles continues to inspire Zaragoza

The midweek round of fixtures in the Premier League comes to a close on Thursday as Manchester United host West Ham at Old Trafford, but in search of value we are heading to Spain as the Copa del Rey second round continues. 

Below you can find my Football Bet of the Day for Thursday, December 4.

Real Zaragoza have had a stinking start to the new campaign, after escaping relegation by just six points in 2024/25. Former Atletico Madrid midfielder Gabi was placed in charge in March of this year but won just five of his 20 matches before being sacked in October. 

The Spanish club made the move to bring sacked Sheffield United manager Ruben Selles to the club, which did feel like a bit of a coup, and he has slowly started to turn them around. The team sit bottom of the Segunda Division and lost his first three league games in charge, but they did progress in the Copa del Rey by beating Mutilvera 3-1. 

In the last three games, we have seen massive improvements from this Zaragoza team as Selles has guided them to three league wins on the spin - giving their hopes of survival a real boost. First, they beat Huesca 1-0 despite a late red card, and then they followed it up with a remarkable comeback against Eibar. 

Selles saw his side go 1-0 down and then they were reduced to 10 men in the 25th minute. However, they staged an improbable comeback with 10 men to win 2-1. Then they backed it up with another maximum, this time on home soil as they landed a 3-2 win over a Leganes side that were reduced to nine men by the end of the match. 

Real Zaragoza vs Burgos Odds

Red cards come frequently in Zaragoza matches, but they also now have confidence to go out and win. They are now somehow just three points from safety, and they can turn things around under Selles, who is a brilliant coach, despite his Bramall Lane nightmare. 

On Thursday they host fellow Segunda Division outfit Burgos at home, and they are a decent price to win. Burgos are a strong opponent, and sit fifth in the league but their form has dropped off slightly. They’ve lost their last two games without scoring, and they have won just one of their last four, failing to score in three of those outings. 

I believe that Zaragoza have turned their season around, and they can carry that momentum into the Copa del Rey. Selles looked like the right appointment at the time, but it was a big ask. Now, survival and a cup run is on the cards from an unlikely starting point. 

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