While Atletico Madrid have already secured Champions League football, it makes a massive difference to finish third instead of fourth. Diego Simeone's men must push until the final whistle, but Betis might have something to say about it.
Atletico Madrid had their moments throughout the season, but their inconsistency cost them their chances of competing for the title. Los Colchoneros will be back to the CL next season, but there is a feeling that they could have achieved more with the squad they had this year.
Atletico once again rank among the best defensive teams in the league, right next to Athletic Bilbao. But there is much to be desired up front, as they lost too many points in games where they couldn't even score. For example, Atletico showed nothing in four of their last 10 fixtures.
Meanwhile, Real Betis are the only remaining Spanish side that could win silverware from Europe this season, as they face Chelsea in the Conference League final less than two weeks from now. So, this is an interesting moment for the Greens. They have already earned a spot in the Europa League next season via the domestic league. But they also sit five points behind Villarreal with two rounds to go. Overtaking the Yellow Submarine would send them to the Champions League instead.
The question is whether Betis will focus all efforts on winning the Conference League in 10 days or if they plan to push in La Liga too, risking their best players ahead of the final.
How the bookies view it: Atletico to bounce back
Bookmakers do not rule Betis out but give Atletico a serious betting advantage. Everyone should know that betting against the Colchoneros at the Metropolitano is rarely a logical choice. Therefore, you can back the hosts at 1/1 or take the risk and bet on Real Betis at 5/2. Alternatively, you can opt for the draw at 11/4.
Recent head to head: Betis ended a 10-match winless run
Until recently, seeing this clash on the La Liga schedule meant an almost certain triumph for Los Colchoneros. Real Betis had not won against Atletico Madrid since 2019 but finally did it in the reverse fixture in October (1-0). But other than that, Atletico have seven wins in the last 10 H2Hs. If you want to go even further back in time, Betis have won only two of the last 25 H2Hs.
Players to watch: The old Antony is back
So many Beticos were against Antony's arrival a few months ago but now, there probably isn't a single supporter who wouldn't sign him on a permanent deal. The 25-year-old singlehandedly brought Betis to the Conference League final, after scoring in both legs against Fiorentina. Antony now has a total of 13 goal contributions in 23 appearances for Real Betis, with only Isco having more since his arrival.
Probable line-ups
Atletico Madrid: Oblak, Galan, Gimenez, Normand, Llorente, Alvarez, Paul, Koke, Gallagher, Simeone, Sorloth
Real Betis: Adrian, Sabaly, Bartra, Natan, Perraud, Altimira, Carvalho, Antony, Celso, Rodriguez, Hernandez
Anything else catch the eye?
The vast majority of the recent H2Hs had little to show in terms of goals, but that's nothing strange knowing Atletico's style. But this might be the perfect time to go against the odds, as we expect more action. Real Betis' last nine consecutive games featured goals from both teams (BTTS). Their defence is far from perfect but their attack has been phenomenal lately.
You may think that Atletico have nothing to play for now that they've secured CL football. But the reality is that finishing 3rd will earn them around 10 million more than finishing 4th. And then Real Betis are not a team that's going to back down while there's still a chance for the Top 5. We expect a tight clash with action on both ends.
GambleAware