Real Betis vs Sevilla match preview and predictions for Saturday’s LaLiga match. Read on for the head-to-head, team news and predicted lineups ahead of the big Seville derby.
- DATE: Saturday 2nd January 2021
- KICK-OFF: 16:15 (local time)
- STADIUM: Benito Villamarin
- COMPETITION: LaLiga
Real Betis vs Sevilla Preview
The second game of LaLiga in 2020 is one of the biggest on the whole calendar as Spain’s fiercest city rivalry takes centre-stage. Real Betis are gunning to cause an upset against Sevilla but the odds will be firmly in the visiting side’s favour and they won’t have to deal with 60,000 screaming Beticos on this visit to the Benito Villamarin.
Real Betis are having a mixed season under Manuel Pellegrini and that’s perhaps being a bit generous. While they did manage to close 2020 just inside the top half, they don’t really have the feel of a team that has the sort of quality to kick on and push for Europe. They were 4-1 down at one point in their most recent game at Levante before Sergio Canales returned from injury off the bench to score a late brace but Betis couldn’t find the 4th goal that would have salvaged a point.
Canales’ return is a major boost in time for this fixture. However defensively they continue to look very poor with 30 goals conceded so far this term in LaLiga, 5 more than any other team. Some kind of investment or even a couple of sensible loan signings look badly needed for Betis if they are going to stem the flow of goals and turn this season into some form of a success.
It’s tough to fancy Betis here against an in-form Sevilla side. While their performances are rarely sparkling and they aren’t as easy on the eye as some Sevilla or indeed Betis teams of recent years have been, Julen Lopetegui’s side are a really tough side to play against and they continue to grind out results.
Defensively they are very solid with just 2 goals conceded in their last 6 league games testament to the challenge that Betis will face in trying to break down their fierce rivals here. Victories over Valencia and Villarreal have ensured it has been a good festive season for Sevilla so far and only current leaders Atletico Madrid have collected more points than them over the last 8 games.
Read all our LaLiga match previews here!
Head to Head
- Last 6 Competitive Meetings: 3 Sevilla Wins, 2 Betis Wins, 1 Draw.
- Sevilla have won on 3 of their last 5 trips to the Benito Villamarin.
- The exception was a 1-0 defeat in LaLiga in September 2018 with Joaquin scoring the winner.
- Sevilla have won all 3 derbies since then.
Team News
Claudio Bravo is a doubt for Betis who are missing Cristian Tello and Marc Bartra to injury.
Fernando is a major absentee for Sevilla and he’s likely to be replaced by Nemanja Gudelj.
Predicted Betis Starting Lineup:
Bravo – Miranda, Mandi, Ruiz, Emerson – Guardado, Guido – Fekir, Canales, Joaquin – Sanabria (4-2-3-1)
Predicted Sevilla Starting Lineup:
Bono – Acuna, Carlos, Kounde, Navas – Rakitic, Gudelj, Jordan – Ocampos, De Jong, Suso (4-3-3)
Real Betis vs Sevilla Predictions
Score Prediction: Betis 1-2 Sevilla
Betis are the kind of team that does occasionally turn up for the bigger games and they certainly have individuals capable of producing a moment of magic which could light up this derby clash. However in terms of all-round quality throughout the team, it’s very hard to look past a solid Sevilla side and they should continue their recent run of victories in this fixture.
Real Betis vs Sevilla Betting Tips (18+)
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