Real Betis lock horns with Nottingham Forest at the Estadio de La Cartuja in their UEFA Europa League opener. Both sides have yet to reach the heights of last season, but the Spanish side have done some good work at home lately.
Real Betis have struggled for consistency this term and have won just two of their opening six games in La Liga. However, they have only lost once so far and appear to be improving as the season progresses.
The good news for Real Betis is that their two wins this season have come at the Estadio de la Cartuja. One of those wins came last weekend as Manuel Pellegrini's men claimed a 3-1 home victory over Real Sociedad.
Nottingham Forest have struggled to find their best form this season, having picked up just one win in six matches across all competitions. That victory came under manager Nuno Espitrito Santo, with Ange Postecoglou still seeking his first win since taking up the helm.
The Premier League side are currently on a five-match winless run, suffering three defeats on this stretch. They were held to a 1-1 draw at newly promoted Burnley in a Premier League fixture last weekend.
How the bookies view it: Betis with the edge
Real Betis have the edge among the bookies and are priced at Evens by BoyleSports to claim the win. A victory for Nottingham Forest is valued at odds of 15/8, while a draw is set at 12/5.
Head to head: One previous meeting
There has been only one previous meeting between Real Betis and Nottingham Forest, with the Spaniards picking up a 1-0 victory in a friendly in 2018.
Players to watch: Hernandez catches the eye
Cucho Hernandez has looked sharp lately, scoring in the last two matches for Real Betis. Pablo Fornals also carries an attacking threat from midfield, and both men can ensure the Spaniards score over 1.5 goals for the third straight game (Real Betis over 1.5 goals – available at 20/21 with BoyleSports).
Chris Wood already has two goals this season and will be the one to watch for Nottingham Forest on Wednesday. With Dan Ndoye and Callum Hudson-Odoi also providing support, the visitors can get on the score sheet (Nottingham Forest over 0.5 goals – offered at 3/10).
Probable line-ups:
Real Betis will miss the services of Isco, Aitor Ruibal, Ricardo Rodriguez and Nelson Deossa due to injuries. However, the likes of Marc Batra, Hector Bellerin and Fornals are all available to start, while Antony and Hernandez are set to feature in attack.
For Nottingham Forest, Ola Aina, Nicolas Dominguez and Murillo will play no part in their trip to Betis due to injuries. Nikola Milenkovic, Morato and Williams should line up at the back, while Hudson-Odoi and Ndoye should support Wood up front.
Real Betis: Lopez, Bellerin, Batra, Natan, Firpo, Fornals, Amrabat, Antony, Ezzalzouli, Lo Celso, Hernandez
Nottingham Forest: Selz, Williams, Morato, Milenkovic, Zinchenko, Anderson, Sangare, Hudson-Odoi, Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Wood
Anything else catch the eye?
Both teams have scored in Real Betis' last four matches (BTTS YES – priced at 8/13 with BoyleSports). Their last three fixtures have also produced over 2.5 goals – set at odds of 8/11.
Real Betis have scored first in two of their last three home matches (Real Betis to score first – valued at 4/5).
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