Barcelona will look to extend their lead at the top of La Liga when they travel to Real Betis for a midweek fixture.
Real Betis are coming off a hard fought 1-0 victory at troubled Getafe in their previous La Liga fixture. They were given a stern test by their relegation threatened hosts with Borja Iglesias’ effort four minutes from time proving the difference.
The task for Real Betis now will be to build on that result. They had failed to win their previous three matches, crashing out of the Spanish Super Cup and Copa Del Rey, while also slipping to sixth on the La Liga table.
The problem for Real Betis is their form home, where they are winless in their last three matches. Manuel Pellegrini’s men were beaten 2-1 by Atletico Madrid in that run and played out a 0-0 draw with Athletic Bilbao in their previous La Liga home fixture.
Barcelona appear to have clicked into a higher gear since the turn of the year and have won their last five matches across all competitions. One of the high points of that run is the 3-1 victory over bitter Rivals Real Madrid to win the Spanish Super Cup while they have also opened up a five-point gap at the top of the league.
Still being driven by their solid defence, Barcelona claimed a 1-0 victory at Girona in their previous La Liga fixture. They were made to work hard by the hosts and secured the win thanks to Pedri’s effort midway through the second half.
Barcelona have also maintained a superb record on their travels, suffering just one defeat away from home all season. The victory at Girona was the fourth straight La Liga win on the road for Xavi’s men.
How the bookies view it
Barcelona have the upper hand among the bookies with a win priced at 8/13 with Paddy Power. A victory for Real Betis is valued at 4/1 by William Hill while a draw is set at odds of 3/1 by Paddy Power.
Recent head to head
Barcelona have a 34-10 advantage with nine draws from 53 previous matches against Real Betis. The Catalans have won the last five meetings at the Estadio Benito Villamarin and also overcame Betis on penalties in this season’s Spanish Super Cup after a 2-2 draw in normal time.
Players to watch
Although they have coped well in his absence, the return of Robert Lewandowski will still be a major boost for Barcelona. The Polish striker has 13 goals in 15 La Liga appearances this season and is priced at 20/21 with bet365.
Defending has also played a pivotal role in Barcelona’s campaign with Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen often partnering at centre-back. The Catalans have kept clean sheets in their last four matches across all competitions and could be set for a repeat at 7/5 with BoyleSports.
Anything else catch the eye?
Barcelona have won to nil in their last four matches across all competitions and could be set for a similar outcome at 19/10 with BetVictor. With Robert Lewandowski’s return expected boost their attack, a -1 handicap could also be considered at 15/8 with Paddy Power.
Of Lewandowski’s 13 La Liga goals this season, 15 have been the opener and the striker could be backed to score first on Wednesday at 11/4 with bet365.
This La Liga match between Real Betis and Barcelona will be played on Feb 1, 2023 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Real Betis vs Barcelona prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
