The two form teams in La Liga clash at the Estadi Olimpic this weekend. Barcelona have reeled off nine wins on the bounce in the Spanish top flight, while Real Betis have won each of their last six.
With goals normally guaranteed whenever these teams meet, we should be in for a good game on Saturday, as Barca bid to stretch their lead at the top.
It has already been a great week for Hansi Flick’s side. They ultimately cruised past Girona 4-1 in a Catalan derby last weekend, before a solitary strike from Ferran Torres was enough to seal a Copa del Rey semi-final victory over Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night. That made it 21 games unbeaten in all competitions in 2025 for Barca and set up a clasico final later this month.
They can’t afford to take their eyes off the ball here though, with Real Betis flying right now. January additions Antony and Cucho Hernandez have really strengthened their attack which has a totally fresh feel to it, aided by the emergence of youngster Jesus Rodriguez on the left flank. They beat city rivals Sevilla 2-1 last time out and are now genuine candidates for Champions League qualification.
How the bookies view it: Barca expected to see off in-form opposition
Despite the brilliant run that Real Betis are on, they are still available at long odds of 13/2 to win this game. The draw is priced at 23/5, with Barcelona the odds-on favourites at 19/50.
Recent head-to-head: Goals galore in this fixture
The goals normally flow whenever these teams meet, with Betis boss Manuel Pellegrini not exactly inclined to park the bus even when his teams take on elite opposition. All of the last five meetings have served up at least four goals, with Barca winning four of them. The clubs met as recently as January on this ground in the Copa del Rey, with Lamine Yamal on fire that night in a 5-1 win for the hosts.
Players to watch: Lewandowski leading the Pichichi race
Robert Lewandowski is three clear of Kylian Mbappe in the race to be La Liga’s top scorer. He has netted 25 times in 28 appearances in the Spanish top flight this term and is the standout candidate in the goalscorer markets for this game. He’s available at 10/3 to score first and 5/6 to score anytime.
Predicted Lineups
Lewandowski should rotate back into the Barca starting lineup after Ferran got the nod in the Copa del Rey. Dani Olmo has joined Andreas Christsensen, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Marc Bernal and Marc Casado on the injury list.
Betis are missing their best player Isco to suspension in a major blow to their chances in this game. Giovani Lo Celso should start as a result, while Abde Ez and Marc Roca are rated doubtful.
Barcelona: Szczesny, Balde, Araujo, Cubarsi, Kounde, De Jong, Gavi, Pedri, Raphinha, Lewandowski, Yamal.
Real Betis: Adrian, R. Rodriguez, Llorente, Bartra, Sabaly, Altimira, Cardoso, Lo Celso, J. Rodriguez, C. Hernandez, Antony.
Anything else catch the eye?
Yamal was absolutely unplayable when these sides met in the cup earlier this year. He’s had at least four shots in six of his last seven games for club and country, and given that he could be worth a punt at 5/6 with bet365 to have over 3.5 shots in this game.
You can also back Barcelona to score over 2.5 goals at 1/1 with Paddy Power. That bet has landed in each of their last four league matches.
Even without Isco, Betis should still carry a goal threat and they’re blessed with plenty of pace with which to attack on the break. Whether they’ll have enough to stop a red hot Barca side is more doubtful though and a home win with over 3.5 goals pays out at 7/5 with BoyleSports.
This La Liga match between Barcelona and Real Betis will be played on and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Barcelona vs Real Betis prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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