Verdict: Villarreal to win – yes
Best Odds: 17/20
Bookmaker: 888sport
Both Villarreal and Real Betis sit around the middle of the standings in La Liga through the first six matches of the season. Both share an identical record of two wins, two draws and two losses thus far in the 2019-20 campaign. This match on Friday could see them stand pat if they end up on a stalemate, but if there’s a winner then that side could experience a huge rise on the standings, at least for a few days. Kick-off for this evenly-matched encounter will be at 20:00 hrs BST time.
Villarreal
Villarreal are coming off a tough 2-1 away defeat at Barcelona earlier this week, but they should feel comfortable ahead of this contest. They have won each of their last three matches at home against Betis, and have posted a W4, L2 mark in the last six H2H meetings against Los Verdiblancos. Furthermore, El Submarino Amarillo remain undefeated at home during the current campaign (W1, D2). The fact that they have already scored 13 times suggests the attacking power is not their problem. But on the other hand, they have already conceded 10 times in only six matches. If they want to come away with something out of this match, there’s no question they will need to strengthen things up at the back. They are undefeated in their last five home matches – dating back to pre-season – and have scored at least twice in each of those games, however. So there’s a chance playing slightly better defensively could be enough to get the win based on their recent attacking performances.
Team News
Bruno Soriano, Alberto Moreno and Ramiro Guerra remain out for Villarreal, just like it happened earlier this week at Barcelona.
Mario Gaspar has been listed as doubtful after picking up a knock. He’s not expected to play.
Real Betis
On the other hand, Real Betis enter this game knowing they need to improve their away form. They have played just twice on the road during the current 2019-20 Liga campaign, and have posted a D1, L1 mark while conceding five goals – all of them against Barcelona. They stumbled to a scoreless draw against Osasuna at El Sadar in their previous road match, but no one would have said anything had they found themselves on the losing end of that match as well. Los Verdiblancos have not started the season on a strong note, but they will aim to translate their three-game undefeated streak at home towards their road form. Can they accomplish that feat against a high-scoring side such as Villarreal? Or will they suffered another heavy defeat while playing away from home?
Team News
Top-summer signing Nabil Fekir has been ruled out for this contest. The same goes for Wilfrid Kaptoum and Sidnei.
Juanmi has been listed as doubtful, but he’s not expected to feature here.
Key Factors to Consider
- Betis are unbeaten in their last four league games, drawing twice and beating Leganes and Levante.
- Villarreal, on the other hand, saw a three-game undefeated streak come to an end with the loss at Barcelona.
- It’s worth mentioning Villarreal are still undefeated at home this term (W1, D2).
- There have been over 2.5 goals scored in six of Villarreal‘s last seven games.
- Villarreal have seen over 2.5 goals in their last four matches against Real Betis in all competitions.
Conclusion
If we look at the form both sides have experienced so far, we can see there is not much separating either side. But Villarreal have been playing at a very high level at home this season. That should be the difference maker ahead of this contest.
Verdict: Villarreal to win – yes
Best Odds: 17/20
Bookmaker: 888sport
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