Here is a Real Betis vs. Sevilla match preview that will hopefully shed some light on what to expect from this game. Mind you, this is a Sevilla derby, a clash between two fierce rivals. But, that’s not the only reason why the Saturday’s duel is gonna be entertaining. These two teams need points in order to ensure their future in the Europa League.
Real Betis
Just three seasons ago, Real Betis were playing in the Spanish Segunda Division. Today, they’re at the 5th spot on La Liga table and the chances are that they’re gonna compete in the Europa League next season. Actually, their home rivals, Sevilla are the only team that could ruin their plans. Right now, Real Betis have five points more and with only two rounds left, they need just one or two points to secure their place in the Europa League.
The good news is that in the final round of the 2017/2018 season of La Liga, Betis are taking on Leganes, a fairly modest team that they should have no problems beating. Still, this doesn’t mean that they will fly a white flag in the clash with Sevilla. On the contrary, they would love nothing better than to beat their arch-rivals at their home ground, the Estadio Benito Villamarín.
What worries Betis fans is that their form seems to be dropping. This team has scored only four goals in the previous five games, even though they faced some relatively weak opponents, like Las Palmas and Malaga. Still, they did do a very good job drawing with Atletico Madrid at Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid.
Sevilla
Five-time winners of the Europa League are currently at the 7th place of La Liga, which means that if they stay there, they will have to go into the playoffs in order to book a spot in that competition. However, there are still two rounds left until the end of La Liga season and with six points won, they might finish on either the fifth or the sixth spot, which would mean that they’d go to the Europa League directly.
Real Betis’ fifth place seems kind of out of their reach, but Sevilla have a really good chance to overtake the sixth place on the table, which is currently held by Villarreal. The Yellow Submarine currently has three points more than Sevilla, but they have to play against Real Madrid in the final round of the season.
Speaking of Real Madrid, Sevilla beat Los Blancos in the previous round. The win certainly gave them a big boost ahead of the clash with their city rivals, as they’re now confident they can beat anyone. It seems that the victory came at the right moment, as they still have a chance to salvage the season.
Rivalry aside, this seems like the crucial match for Sevilla. They need to win this in order to get a step closer to a Europa League spot. Remember, the rules of La Liga say that if two teams end with the same number of points, the team with the better score in the head-to-head duels gets the advantage. So, if Sevilla finishes the season with the same number of points as Villarreal (which seems very likely if Sevilla beat Real Betis), they will overtake the sixth spot!
Team News
Real Betis absentees:
- Daniel Gimenez (injury)
- Firpo Junior (injury)
- Zouhair Feddal (injury)
- Antonio Barragan (doubtful)
- Andres Guardado (doubtful)
- Francis Guerrero (doubtful)
- Antonio Adan (doubtful)
Sevilla absentees:
- Simon Kjaer (injury)
- Lionel Carole (injury)
Possible Lineups
Real Betis:
Adan – Amat, Durmisi, Mandi, Bartra, Navarro – Javi Garcia, Ruiz, Joaquin, Boudebouz – Sanabria
Sevilla:
Soria – Lenglet, Mercado, Layun, Escudero – N’Zonzi, Banega, Vazquez, Sarabia – Nolito, Ben Yedder
Real Betis vs. Sevilla Match Prediction
There’s no doubt that Real Betis have been really impressive this season, but I don’t think they have a better team than Sevilla. The away side has more talent in the team, not to mention that the motivation is on their side, as well. Finally, Sevilla are also in a superb form, confident that after beating Real Madrid, they can also beat Real Betis.
Real Betis vs. Sevilla Betting Tips
- Sevilla @2.60 (bet365)
- Over 2.5 @1.61 (Unibet)