Real Betis vs Villarreal match preview and predictions for Sunday’s LaLiga match. Read on for the head-to-head, team news and predicted lineups as the Yellow Submarine head to Seville.
- DATE: Sunday 13th December 2020
- KICK-OFF: 16:15 (local time)
- VENUE: Benito Villamarin
- COMPETITION: LaLiga
Real Betis vs Villarreal Preview
Villarreal travel to the Benito Villamarin on Sunday hoping to keep their push for European qualification on track. Whether they can remain in the hunt for a top four finish as we head deeper into the season remains to be seen but they will fancy their chances against most teams in this league, including this weekend’s opponents.
Real Betis do head into this match on the back of a much needed win though. Having lost 5 out of 6, they went to Osasuna and won 2-0 to just ease any fears they might be in danger of getting sucked into a relegation battle this year. That could still happen if they don’t find a bit more consistency but Manuel Pellegrini will be encouraged by the result in Pamplona, and particularly by a goal for Borja Iglesias who has endured a fairly miserable time since moving to Seville in the summer of 2019.
It’ll be interesting to see if Iglesias is rewarded with a start here. While conceding goals remains their chief problem, settling on which striker or strikers to play has been a problem for Betis for some time, spanning several coaches now. Toni Sanabria has been favoured this season but has only netted twice while Loren Moron and Nabil Fekir were utilised in a front two last time out before being withdrawn.
Villarreal have had no such issues with Gerard Moreno and Paco Alcacer having built up a strong understanding. The duo have 11 goals between them in LaLiga so far this term. Only 12 teams have scored more than that heading into this weekend but Villarreal are going to have to do without Alcacer until the new year with 20 year old forward Fer Niño set to get his chance.
The Yellow Submarine had their Europa League game against Qarabag called off on Thursday after many members of the Azerbaijani side tested positive for COVID-19. With nothing riding on the game anyway, it may not even get rearranged which would be a bonus for Unai Emery as he looks to manage his squad through a busy season.
Check out our match previews for every game in LaLiga this weekend here!
Head to Head
- Last 6 Competitive Meetings: 4 Villarreal Wins, 2 Betis Wins.
- The last 4 meetings in Seville have produced 2 wins each.
- Villarreal won both meetings last season by an aggregate score of 7-1.
- 5 of the last 6 meetings have seen both teams score.
Team News
Borja Iglesias may get a start up top following his goal as a sub last time out. Claudio Bravo and Sidnei are rated doubtful while key man Sergio Canales is still out.
Paco Alcacer and Carlos Bacca are out for the visitors so Fer Niño should start up top. Moi Gomez is also a doubt.
Predicted Real Betis Starting Lineup:
Robles – Moreno, Ruiz, Bartra, Emerson – Guardado, Carvalho, Rodriguez, Ruibal – Iglesias, Fekir (4-4-2)
Predicted Villarreal Starting Lineup:
Asenjo – Estupinan, Torres, Albiol, Mario – Parejo, Iborra, Trigueros – Chukwueze, Niño, Gerard (4-3-3)
Real Betis vs Villarreal Predictions
Score Prediction: Real Betis 1-2 Villarreal
Villarreal’s players will have benefited from the midweek rest and they look capable of coming to the Benito Villamarin and winning. Betis just haven’t found any kind of consistency so far and their two most recent victories were both immediately followed by heavy defeats. They should be more competitive here but Villarreal have the quality needed to break down what is currently LaLiga’s worst defence and win the game.
LaLiga Betting Tips (18+)
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