Real Betis vs Espanyol predictions and match preview for Sunday’s LaLiga fixture. Read on for the head-to-head, team news, predicted lineups and fantasy football picks as Betis aim to make it three wins in seven days in all competitions.
| Date | Sunday 19th September 2021 |
| Kick-Off | 18:30 (local time) |
| Stadium | Benito Villamarin |
| Competition | LaLiga |
Real Betis vs Espanyol Preview
Real Betis and Espanyol face off at the Benito Villamarin on Sunday. It’s a tough game for Espanyol but they really could do with pulling what would be something of a surprise result out of the bag having made a relatively slow start to the new season back in the top flight.
Betis didn’t get off to a flying start but they’ve had a really good week. Fabulous goals from Rodri and Sergio Canales sealed a late 2-1 win at Granada on Monday night, their first league win of the season and the fourth time of asking. They then staged a remarkable comeback against Celtic in the Europa League on Thursday night. 2-0 down early on, the Scottish side missed a good chance to go 3 up but Betis came roaring back with 4 goals in 21 minutes either side of the break, sealing what was ultimately a 4-3 victory.
Manuel Pellegrini’s men were actually the only Spanish side to taste victory in Europe this week and they’ll fancy their chances of completing a third victory in seven days here. This will though be the first real test of their squad depth and Betis are going to have a different challenge this season as they look to juggle the demands of domestic and European football.
Espanyol know only too well how difficult that can be. They were relegated in 2019/20 despite advancing to the knockout stages of the Europa League but have successfully regrouped since under the leadership of Vicente Moreno. Getting out of the Segunda Division proved a relative procession but cementing themselves back in the middle part of the Primera, where they’d spent much of the previous two decades, may be much tougher if the early stages of this season are anything to go by.
Moreno’s side have just two points and only one goal to show from their opening four games. That goal finally came last time out and it came from a predictable source as Raul De Tomas fired them in front against Atletico Madrid. However the defending champions staged a late comeback with some Espanyol fans furious that so much added time was allowed as Thomas Lemar struck a 99th minute winner for Atleti.
Head to Head
- Last 6 Competitive Meetings: 3 Betis Wins, 3 Draws.
- Betis have won 3 of their last 4 home games against Espanyol.
- They won this fixture 1-0 in June 2020 – the last time the sides met.
- Espanyol haven’t beaten Betis since 1-0 home win in October 2017.
Team News
Marc Bartra and Youssouf Sabaly are both sidelined through injury again for Betis. Juan Miranda is a doubt.
Javi Puado and Yangel Herrera are likely going to be important for Espanyol this season but both are out here. David Lopez is also a doubt.
Predicted Betis Starting Lineup:
Silva – Moreno, Ruiz, Pezzella, Bellerin – Canales, Rodriguez – Fekir, Rodri, Tello – Willian Jose (4-2-3-1)
Predicted Espanyol Starting Lineup:
Lopez – Pedrosa, Gomez, Cabrera, Gil – Becerra, Darder, Morlanes, Vidal – R.D.T., Dimata (4-4-2)
Real Betis vs Espanyol Predictions
Score Prediction: Betis 2-1 Espanyol
With midweek games in the next two weeks as well, Manuel Pellegrini is likely to rotate quite a bit during this period and that could unsettle things somewhat. Espanyol have a couple of significant absentees though and haven’t quite found any real attacking rhythm yet. Betis have been so strong at home over the past year and they may just have enough to complete a hat-trick of victories this week.
Fantasy Football Picks
LaLiga Predictions & Previews | 2021/22 LaLiga predicted lineups
Mark Sochon is an experienced football writer and editor of LaLiga Expert. Based in Madrid, he has covered La Liga and Spanish football for many years. He also covers Spanish and European football for Goal and Betfred, while his work has previously been published by the Guardian and World Soccer.