Thrilling chasing duel for the CL places
An exciting battle for the direct Champions League places for the coming season has broken out in the Spanish La Liga. Six teams are battling for the four tickets, although leaders Real Madrid have already pulled clear and are unlikely to be caught. Behind them, however, it is very close. Even the fifth and sixth-placed teams can still have justified hopes.
This Friday, the 32nd matchday in Spain will open with just such a chasing duel. Real Sociedad will meet Betis Sevilla. According to the odds, the bookmakers are going with the home side, who have recently recorded ten points from four league games and have generally been very consistent on the road in front of a home crowd in the 2022 calendar year.
However, the Basques should not underestimate the task against the Andalusians, after all, the southern Spaniards from Sevilla also recently achieved the yield of ten points from four games. Moreover, the Green-Whites, who famously lost to Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League, have a remarkable record away from home. In our opinion, it is therefore inappropriate to make a prediction against the visitors in advance between Real Sociedad and Betis Sevilla.
Real Sociedad – Statistics & current form
For much of this season, Real Sociedad have been one of the positive surprises in La Liga. Until deep into November, the Basques had only one defeat to their name. Then, however, a negative series with four defeats in a row and only one win from nine league games led to a drop in the standings. During this period, they also lost out on the Europa League group win, which meant that RSSS had to play RB Leipzig in the intermediate round, where they were eliminated early on.
In the meantime, however, the team of long-time coach Imanol Alguacil has regained its composure. They have won five of the last seven La Liga matches. In fact, ten points have come from the last four matches. Only at Sevilla FC did “La Real” have to settle for a goalless draw. The club from San Sebastian can therefore be said to be in very good shape.
Little spectacle in the RSSS home games
Alexander Isak and Co. have been particularly hard to beat at home this season. Nine of their 15 wins this season have come at home. On the other hand, there have been four draws and only two defeats, both of which, however, date back to the calendar year 2021. In 2022, the Basques are still completely unbeaten at home. The last four matches in the Reale Arena were all won.
Even better: In six home games after the turn of the year, 16 of a possible 18 points were scored. RSSS did not concede a single goal! The minimalists from the province of Gipuzkoa won 1-0 on four occasions.
In each of the six home games mentioned above, the bet on the under 2.5 would have gone through. Even in total, only 18 goals were scored in 15 of the Basques’ games in front of a home crowd. The Alguacil team thus has both the most stable home defence and the most harmless home attack. They have scored twelve goals and conceded only six. It therefore makes sense to bet on a maximum of two goals in the match between Real Sociedad and Betis Sevilla.
Predicted Real Sociedad line-up:
Remiro; Gorosabel, Zubeldia, Le Normand, Rico; Rafinha, Zubimendi, Merino; D Silva; Isak, Sörloth
Last matches played by Real Sociedad:
La Liga
10/04/2022 – Elche 1 – 2 Real Sociedad
05/04/2022 – Real Sociedad 1 – 0 Espanyol
21/03/2022 – Sevilla FC 0 – 0 Real Sociedad
14/03/2022 – Real Sociedad 1 – 0 Deportivo Alaves
06/03/2022 – Real Madrid 4 – 1 Real Sociedad
Betis Sevilla – Statistics & current form
Similar to Real Sociedad, Betis Sevilla have also played a very solid season so far. They have 56 points from 31 league games, which puts them in fifth place. They are just one point behind Atletico Madrid and four points behind their city rivals FC Sevilla. The Andalusians are therefore still hoping to get a taste of Champions League action in the coming season.
This thought is not completely absurd, especially if the Green-Whites can maintain their form of recent weeks. The “Beticos” have collected a strong ten points from the last four La Liga games. In addition, the defence has been much more stable than in the previous games. In the review of the four matches mentioned above, keeper Claudio Bravo has only had to make two saves.
Betis are not to be underestimated away
The fact that the southern Spaniards can definitely be expected to pick up a point in San Sebastian on Friday evening has to do with the good away record of the Pellegrini eleven. They have only lost one of their six visits to La Liga in the 2022 calendar year (2-1 at Sevilla FC).
Only FC Barcelona and Real Madrid recorded more points away from home than last year’s sixth-placed team throughout the season. Eight victories in opposing stadiums compare to three draws and four defeats. In the Real Sociedad vs Betis Sevilla clash, the odds on double chance X2 are therefore well worth considering.
Alternatively, it is also conceivable that few goals will be scored on Friday evening at the start of Matchday 32. On the one hand, this assessment can be justified by the fact that there is a lot at stake in the clash between two table neighbours and no team wants to fall behind early. On the other hand, the Andalusians have only scored more than one goal in three of their last twelve appearances in San Sebastian. In addition, the best home defence in the league awaits the fifth-placed team.
Predicted Betis Sevilla line-up:
Bravo; Bellerin, Pezzella, Bartra, Moreno; Rodriguez, Carvalho; Canales, Fekir, Juanmi; Iglesias
Last matches played by Betis Sevilla:
La Liga
09/04/2022 – Cadiz 1 – 2 Real Betis
03/04/2022 – Real Betis 4 – 1 Osasuna Pamplona
20/03/2022 – Celta Vigo 0 – 0 Real Betis
Europa League Final Stage
18/03/2022 – Eintracht Frankfurt – 1 – 1 Real Betis
La Liga
13/03/2022 – Real Betis 1 – 0 Athletic Bilbao
Real Sociedad – Betis Sevilla Direct comparison / H2H record
This is the 96th time the two clubs have faced each other in Spain’s top flight. Real Sociedad currently lead the direct comparison with 38 wins compared to 32 defeats and 25 draws. However, Betis Sevilla won the first leg 4-0 in front of their home crowd. The Andalusians also had the upper hand in the cup with a 4-0 win, which supports our thesis that the visitors should definitely be expected to take a point on Friday evening.
Real Sociedad – Betis Sevilla tip
For German teams, Real Sociedad and Betis Sevilla have been pretty good places to play this season. Betis took only one point from two games in the group stage against Leverkusen and were finally eliminated in the round of 16 against Eintracht Frankfurt. For Real Sociedad, it was already the end of the line in the intermediate round against RB Leipzig. On Friday evening, the two Spanish European Cup representatives will face each other in La Liga.
The aim is not to lose touch with the Champions League places. At the same time, it is the clash of the sixth-placed team against the fifth-placed team and the meeting of two teams in good form, both of whom have taken ten points from the past four league games. As a result, it is difficult to make a bet on the three-way market between Real Sociedad and Betis Sevilla.
Instead, it is more interesting to consider betting odds on the under 2.5 in the Real Sociedad vs Betis Sevilla clash. The Basques have only scored 18 goals in 15 home games so far, just over one goal on average per game. No team has scored fewer goals at home than “La Real”, but at the same time no other team has conceded fewer goals. Nevertheless, they have already managed nine home victories this season.
