By Ian King
Red hot form in both dressing rooms
Barcelona, it seems reasonable to say, are back. They had a bit of a disaster between the middle of November and the middle of January, winning just one of their eight league matches, but other than that they’ve dropped just three points all season in LaLiga and are currently on a run of nine straight wins in the league. And they are unbeaten across 21 games in all competitions since the turn of the year.
Real Betis are going pretty well themselves too, though. After an inconsistent season, they’ve now won six in a row, including 2-1 wins against Real Madrid AND arch-rivals Sevilla.
History
Perhaps predictably, Barcelona have a significant historical upper hand in this particular match up. Betis haven’t won in this fixture since December 2021, when they won 2-1 at Camp Nou. The two sides have already met twice this season. In the league, the two sides drew 2-2 at Estadio Benito Villamarín in December, with a stoppage-time equaliser rescuing a point for the home side. Somewhat ominously for the visitors, they also met at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in January in the Copa Del Rey, with Barcelona winning 5-1.
Key players
The extent to which Real Betis have an uphill task on Saturday night is perhaps best illustrated by the fact that both Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres have scored in each of their last three matches. Put simply, the attacking threat come from all over the place.
Real Betis feature a couple of names that will be familiar to Premier League watchers, but that which really stands out is Antony, who was loaned from Manchester United during the January transfer window and who’s scored four times and run up four assists since. His value to the squad is perhaps best summed up by the club captain Isco suggesting that “We have to crowdfund so he can stay at least another year.” High praise, from such an accomplished player.
Team News
Andreas Christensen has been out of the Barcelona team since the end of January but could be making his return in this match. Marc Bernal, Marc-André ter Stegen, Marc Casado and Dani Olmo remain longer-term absences. The big absentee for Real Betis is Marc Roca, who injured his foot against Real Sociedad in February and is unlikely to return before the end of this season.
Prediction
Real Betis are in their best form of the season, and they won’t be ruling themselves out of the chase for a Champions League place until it’s mathematically impossible. But Barcelona are good. They’re one of the best teams in Europe at the moment, and even though Betis are sixth in the table, Barca have scored more than twice as many goals as they have. This should be a comfortable evening for the league leaders, so a 3-0 home win feels about right.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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