The highest tier of Spanish football dominates armchair fans’ thoughts on Sunday, with four games from La Liga kicking off between 1:00 pm and 8:00 pm GMT. There are some mouth-watering fixtures on the schedule, including Real Madrid vs Almeria, which is sure to be a thrilling contest. But the game that caught the attention of our content team kicks off at 17:30 and will be broadcast live on television as Real Betis welcomes Barcelona. The visitors are favourites, but Betis is no pushover, especially on their patch.
Looking through the stats associated with this game makes for interesting reading. Real Betis and Barcelona met three times last season, with Barca enjoying an unbeaten run following a draw with back-to-back wins, including a 4-0 at home. Barca also hosted Betis in this campaign back in September when the Spanish giants strolled to an empathic 5-0 win, leaving fans overjoyed. Supporters would love to see anything near a repeat performance, but Betis is out for revenge. Which team will win on Sunday? Keep reading for our big game preview and expert predictions.
Betis score a timely win
Real Betis started this La Liga season with high hopes of challenging for the prize places, and fans wanted a top-four finish and entry into the UEFA Champions League next season. Betis is always a tricky team to predict in pre-season due to their lack of consistency, but there’s no reason why they can’t push hard for a top-six finish and sneak into one of the three European competitions that begin in September. That remains the home team’s aim, but they have plenty of work to do before that dream becomes a reality.
Real Betis started the weekend in seventh place, with their stats for the campaign showing seven wins, ten draws, and three defeats, with 22 goals scored and 20 conceded. When taking a closer look at that form, we notice Betis has lost fewer games than most teams at this level but has the most draws. They also have a poor goal difference, which is the lowest of any team in the top nine of the division. Betis must score more and concede less if they are to turn draws into wins.
Barca unbeaten in three
Barcelona shocked European football last season when winning back the La Liga title from Real Madrid against all the odds. Pundits had written Barca off due to its financial worries and losing Lionel Messi to French Ligue 1 champions PSG. Many expected Barca to become something of a sleeping giant, but the proud club rose from the ashes to pass Blancos and lift Spanish football’s most sought-after trophy. The current campaign hasn’t been anywhere near as enjoyable for fans.
Bet hereBarca began this latest round of fixtures from the La Liga and placed fourth after 19 games played. Their stats for the season to date show a dozen wins, five draws, and two defeats, with 36 goals scored and 22 conceded. The 41 points collected mean they are eight behind current leader Girona, who is the surprise package of this season. Could Girona hold their ground and win the league? Barca must build on a three-game unbeaten run and victory in their last two if they are to challenge for pole position. An away win over Real Betis would help nudge them back into the title race.
Real Betis vs Barcelona prediction
Real Betis holds the home advantage for this game and is just three places lower in the league than their opponents. The locals are experienced enough to understand nothing comes free against the might of Barca and won’t be foolish enough to think Sunday’s opponents aren’t as good as they once were. To stand any chance of winning this game, Betis must respect the visitors and keep things tight in defence.
Barca isn’t on top of the league following an average first half of the season by their high standards. But they are a strong team and arrive in Betis with confidence to spare following back-to-back wins. If the away team is anywhere near full strength, they should have enough skill and experience to grab a vital away win.
La Liga odds
Which team do you think will win Sunday’s game? 22Bet members can gamble on the result, and they’ll find odds available on both teams and the draw. Victory for Real Betis trades at 4.11 while you can back Barcelona for an away win at 1.83. Fancy the draw at 3.99?
In addition to the match-winner betting, also known as 1X2, 22Bet customers enjoy many specials. Have your say on which player will score the game’s first goal, the total number of goals in the contest, and how many bookings we’ll see during the 90 minutes. There’s something for everyone.
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