Real Betis vs Barcelona Match Preview
Tournament – La Liga
Date – Sunday, January 21
Kick-off Time – 11:00 pm IST
Venue – Benito Villamarin Stadium
Real Betis are fighting for European places and sit seventh in the La Liga standings after playing 20 games. They broke their run of six games without a win across competitions, including three defeats, by beating Granada 1-0 in their last game.
Real Betis were also demoted to the UEFA Europa Conference League after finishing third in the Europa League. They will next face off against Barcelona, who aren’t very confident either.
The Blaugrana look far from their best in their La Liga title defense, as they sit eight points behind leaders Real Madrid. They suffered an embarrassing 4-1 defeat in the Supercopa de Espana final against Los Blancos in their last game.
Real Betis vs Barcelona Team News
Real Betis will be without Hector Bellerin and Marc Bartra due to injuries. Youssouf Sabaly (Senegal), Chadi Riad (Morocco) and Abdessamad Ezzalzouli (Morocco) are on international duty at the AFCON.
Ayoze Perez and Aitor Ruibal need to be assessed after they suffered injuries in their last game against Granada.
Meanwhile, Juan Miranda, Claudio Bravo, and Guido Rodriguez could return to the squad for the Barcelona game.
Barcelona, meanwhile, are without Gavi for the rest of the season due to his ACL injury. Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Raphinha are also out for the Betis clash. Joao Cancelo, Pedri, Marcos Alonso, and Inigo Martinez could return to the squad though.
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Real Betis vs Barcelona Possible Lineups
Real Betis:
Goalkeeper: Rui Silva
Defenders: Aitor Ruibal, German Pezzella, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Abner
Midfielders: Marc Roca, Andres Guadardo, Isco
Attackers: Luiz Henrique, Willian Jose, Assane Diao
Barcelona:
Goalkeeper: Inaki Pena
Defenders: Ronald Araujo, Jules Kounde, Andreas Christensen, Alex Balde
Midfielders: Ilkay Gundogan, Frenkie de Jong, Pedri
Attackers: Ferran Torres, Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski
Real Betis vs Barcelona Head-to-Head
Barcelona has won 20 of the total 26 head-to-head clashes between the two sides. Real Betis have won three while three games have ended in a draw.
Barcelona have won all of their last five meetings across competitions, including a penalty shootout win in the Supercopa de Espana semi-final last season.
Last five results:
- Barcelona 5-0 Real Betis – La Liga – September 17, 2023
- Barcelona 4-0 Real Betis – La Liga – April 30, 2023
- Real Betis 1-2 Barcelona – La Liga – February 2, 2023
- Real Betis 2-2 Barcelona (win on pens) – Supercopa de Espana semi-final – January 13, 2023
- Real Betis 1-2 Barcelona – La Liga – May 8, 2022
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Prediction
Barcelona have struggled to find a rhythm this season and put up good performances consistently this season. While they have created chances in games, they’ve struggled to finish them off and have looked vulnerable in defense. However, they have managed to grind out victories throughout the season.
Meanwhile, Real Betis have won just two of their last 10 games across competitions. They have struggled to maintain their fight for the Champions League spots in the La Liga table.
Barcelona will play against Unionistas in the Copa del Rey Round of 16 on January 19 before facing Real Betis. Hence, they might be more lethargic than their opponents.
Regardless, the Spanish giants should’ve enough quality to grind out another result.
Predicted Score: Real Betis 1-2 Barcelona
Real Betis vs Barcelona Odds (subject to change)
- Real Betis win – 4.45
- Barcelona win – 1.85
- Draw – 4.20
- Odds source – Oddspedia.com
Real Betis vs Barcelona Players to Watch Out For
Real Betis
For Real Betis, Isco has to be the player to watch out for against Barcelona. The Spanish midfielder has clashed against the Blaugrana 18 times with Real Madrid, Malaga, and now Real Betis, having won five times, losing 11 and drawing twice.
Isco is Real Betis’ top assist provider with three in 19 La Liga games along with three goals. He will be keen to dictate play against his old rivals.
Barcelona
For Barcelona, the key player could be midfielder Pedri. The youngster has only recently returned after multiple injury issues and is building match fitness. However, he has already shown shades of brilliance in the limited time he’s been on the pitch in recent games.
Pedri has overall scored one goal and provided an assist in 13 games across competitions this season. He could be key for Barcelona to unlock Real Betis’ defense.
Real Betis vs Barcelona Where to Watch
- India – Jio Cinema, Sports 18
- UK – ITV
- Spain- DAZN
- US – ESPN+