Can the Verdiblancos upset the leaders?
Just three weeks ago, the two teams faced each other in Saudi Arabia in the semi-finals of the Supercopa de Espana. With the score at 1-1 after 90 minutes and 2-2 after 120 minutes, the match eventually went to penalties, in which the Blaugrana prevailed. Now the Andalusians are looking for revenge in La Liga. However, Betis Sevilla against Barcelona is not exactly the best bet for tip 1.
After all, the Catalans lead the La Liga table very clearly with 47 points out of a possible 54. Barca have conceded just six goals in 18 league games and have won their last three league games alone by a minimalist 1-0 scoreline. Betis Sevilla’s prediction for the Blaugrana’s next three-goal win against Barcelona is accordingly full of value, especially as the last time the Andalusians won a home La Liga game against the Catalans was in March 2008.
However, the Verdiblancos have already held the leaders to a 1-1 draw after normal time in the Supercopa de Espana semi-finals. The Andalusians also have a strong home record. At the Estadio Benito Villamarín, 17 of a possible 24 points have been scored, and the Béticos have the second-best home defence in La Liga, conceding only five goals at home.
With that in mind, we find the biggest value in this make-up game in betting on a maximum of two goals being scored in regulation time.
Betis Sevilla – Statistics & current form
Real Betis Balompié were already in the fray for the UEFA Champions League for a long time last season, but could only finish the season in fifth place at the end. Nevertheless, the second year in charge under Manuel Pellegrini was refined. In the summer, the Verdiblancos won the Copa del Rey for only the third time in the club’s history.
In the new season, the club from Andalusia will once again be fighting for a place in the top flight. Should they win at home against FC Barcelona, the Béticos would draw level with current fourth-placed Atlético Madrid at the end of the first half of the season.
Lost three of their last four competitive games
So far, Betis Sevilla have won nine of their opening 18 league games (four draws, five defeats), with five of those nine victories coming in the eight matches played at home in the Estadio Benito Villamarín (two draws, one defeat).
However, in the last three weeks, of all times, things have gone a bit wrong. Not only did the Verdiblancos lose the semifinals of the Supercopa de Espana on penalties against Barcelona. In the Copa del Rey, they also lost on penalties to Osasuna, before losing 1-0 away to Espanyol Barcelona in La Liga. In fact, there have been three defeats in their last four competitive games.
The second best defence in La Liga
On Saturday, however, the Andalusians not only managed to keep a clean sheet once again in a 1-0 win at Getafe, but also bounced back with an important treble. The fact that the Béticos are still in a good position overall is due to their very stable defence.
With 14 goals conceded in total and only five home goals, the Verdiblancos have the second-best defence in La Liga on the one hand and the second-best home defence on the other. Against this background, it makes all the more sense to predict that Betis Sevilla will not score too many goals against the Blaugrana.
Predicted line-up of Betis Sevilla:
Silva – Miranda – Felipe – Pezzella – Sabaly – Carvalho – Rodríguez – Henrique – Sánchez – Canales – Iglesias
Last matches played by Betis Sevilla:
La Liga
29/01/2023 – Getafe 0 – 1 Real Betis
21/01/2023 – Espanyol 1 – 0 Real Betis
Copa del Rey
19/01/2023 – Real Betis (2)2 – 2(4) Osasuna Pamplona
Super Cup
13/01/2023 – Real Betis (2)2 – 2(4) FC Barcelona
La Liga
08/01/2023 – Rayo Vallecano 1 – 2 Real Betis
Barcelona – Statistics & current form
With the overall victory in the Supercopa de Espana after the disappointing first round exit in the UEFA Champions League, FC Barcelona could at least record the first small partial success after last summer’s risky transfer offensive.
The Blaugrana are also still on course in the championship and cup. In La Liga, Barca have won their last three games in a row by a minimal 1:0 margin and continue to lead the table by five points over Real Madrid. In the Copa del Rey, the Catalans have also already made it to the semi-finals, where the Clásico will be played in March.
Only lost two of the last 22 duels with Betis Sevilla
The Catalans can now travel to Andalusia, where nothing has gone wrong for a very long time, with a correspondingly broad chest. Against Real Betis, Barca have lost only two of their last 22 meetings in La Liga (17 wins, three draws), with both defeats coming in home games.
The last time the Blaugrana lost an away match at the Estadio Benito Villamarín was in March 2008, so the odds are heavily in favour of Betis Sevilla against Barcelona, who are also very strong away from home and have picked up 24 of a possible 27 points away from home in the league.
On average, only 0.33 goals conceded per league game
The fact that Xavi’s men, who also play a leading role in the La Liga Champions 2023 forecast, are currently doing so well at national level is primarily due to the remarkable stability of the defensive line. The Catalans have conceded just six goals in 18 league games so far – an average of only 0.33 goals per game.
There have been the occasional goal festivals, but with three 1-0 wins in a row recently, it has also been a clear quality of the Blaugrana in the recent past to only jump as high as was necessary.
Predicted Barcelona line-up:
ter Stegen – Alonso – García – Araújo – Koundé – Busquets – de Jong – Gavi – Dembélé – Raphinha – Lewandowski
Last matches played by Barcelona:
La Liga
28/01/2023 – Girona 0 – 1 FC Barcelona
Copa del Rey
26/01/2023 – FC Barcelona 1 – 0 Real Sociedad
La Liga
23/01/2023 – FC Barcelona 1 – 0 Getafe
Copa del Rey
20/01/2023 – AD Ceuta FC 0 – 5 FC Barcelona
Super Cup
16/01/2023 – Real Madrid 1 – 3 FC Barcelona
Betis Sevilla – Barcelona Direct comparison / H2H-balance
Head to head: 30 – 24 – 81
There have been a total of 135 meetings between the two clubs so far and with 81 wins, the Blaugrana lead the direct comparison very clearly. Among the last 22 duels between the two teams in La Liga alone, there have been just two wins for the Verdiblancos (three draws, 17 defeats).
Betis Sevilla – Barcelona Tip
The betting odds on Betis Sevilla against Barcelona are clearly in favour of the visitors, who have taken 24 of a possible 27 points away from home in La Liga and have by far the best defence in the league. However, the truth is that the Béticos have only lost one of their eight home games and have the second-best defence in La Liga behind the Blaugrana.
When the two best defences in La Liga clash, Betis Sevilla vs Barcelona is a match that is not too high-scoring. Three weeks ago, only two goals were scored between the two teams in regulation time in the Supercopa de Espana semi-final.
