Real Betis vs Barcelona

Estadio Benito Villamarin is the venue as Real Betis and Barcelona go head-to-head in an exciting La Liga showdown.

Betis’ impressive run of four consecutive top-seven league finishes faces imminent threat after back-to-back two-goal margin defeats to Real Sociedad and Valencia left them stranded in La Liga’s lower reaches. However, there’s still time to flip the script as Manuel Pellegrini’s men sit only four points adrift of sixth-placed Mallorca despite entering this round on a four-game winless league run (D2, L2). ‘Los Verdiblancos’ used midweek Copa del Rey action to boost their spirits with a routine 3-1 win at lower-league Sant Andreu ahead of their impending home return. Benito Villamarin has often stood firm this season, with Betis winning four of their seven home league outings (D2, L1), including two of their last three via an identical 1-0 scoreline (D1). 

Meanwhile, Barcelona bounced back from last weekend’s shock 2-1 home defeat to Los Palmas with an emphatic 5-1 victory at Mallorca during midweek, re-establishing a four-point cushion on second-placed Real Madrid. More importantly, Hansi Flick’s charges are back to winning ways following a dismal three-game winless league streak (D1, L2) ahead of their trip to Benito Villamarin, where they’ve won their last seven top-flight H2Hs against Betis. Those triumphs form part of Barcelona’s incredible 13-game unbeaten away league streak against the Andalusian outfit (W10, D3), which dates back to 2008. ‘Los Blaugranas’ seem well-positioned to extend that run, considering they’ve triumphed in four of their last six competitive away matches (D1, L1), averaging 3.17 goals per game!