On Saturday afternoon, Real Betis and Espanyol clash at the Benito Villamarin in a massive game for both these teams in La Liga.
Real Betis form guideThe team from Andalusia’s quest for a place in next season’s Champions League has rather gone off the rails in recent weeks. Manuel Pellegrini’s team goes into this clash after back-to-back league defeats against Atletico Madrid and Cadiz.
The poor recent results have seen Betis slip to sixth place in the table, six points adrift of La Liga’s top four. Their recent matches in La Liga have been low-scoring affairs, with under 2.5 goals scored in their last five league outings.
Betis have a mixed recent home record in La Liga. A 2-0 defeat by Cadiz in their last home match in La Liga ended a three-game unbeaten run on home soil for the home team.
Espanyol form guideThe visitors head to Andalusia in woeful form, as a 2-1 home defeat against Athletic Club last time out means that they have suffered five straight defeats while also conceding at least two goals in each of the losses.
The losing run has seen Espanyol fall to 19th place in the Spanish top-flight table. However, the Catalan team is still just two points from the safety of 17th place in the table.
The visitor's away form could have been better, too, as they have lost four of their previous five league games on their travels.Latest team news Real Betis will be without midfielder Sergio Canales, who is suspended. French attacking midfielder Nabil Fekir will miss out through a knee injury. Espanyol is likely to be without Keidi Bare and Adria Pedrosa due to ankle and groin injuries, respectively. Despite Real Betis’ recent questionable form, I am backing the home side to record what could be a vital win in their pursuit of a top-four finish in La Liga this season.