Barcelona vs Real Betis
Time – India: 8:45 PM; UK: 3:15 PM (Saturday)
Venue: Camp Nou
After the blistering start to the Ronald Koeman era, very few expected Barcelona to go back to square one so quickly. The glitz and panache that helped them stand out in the first two matches have evaporated.
The Blaugrana don’t look anywhere close to being a title contender. They look unorganised, clueless, and defeated.
The 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid was meant to be a wake-up call for Barcelona, but they seem to have taken nothing away from the humiliation at the Camp Nou.
They followed up the act with a 1-1 draw at Alaves, slipping further down the table. This week, they’ll need to do a lot better against a competitive Real Betis side. And nothing short of a convincing win would suffice.
Barcelona vs Real Betis: Head-to-head
Total matches: 38
Barcelona wins: 23
Real Betis wins: 8
Draws: 7
Barcelona and Real Betis have clashed a bunch of times over the years. Barcelona, thanks to their battle-tested roster, carry a significantly better record — 23 wins to Betis’ eight.
The Blaugrana were last beaten by Real Betis exactly two years back; that, too, at the Camp Nou. The 3-4 thriller stood out as one of the best matches of the season.
Barcelona vs Real Betis: Recent form
Barcelona: W-D-W-L-W (Most recent first)
Real Betis: W-L-L-W-L (Most recent first)
Barcelona, as we all know, are going through a bit of a rough patch. However, their misfortunes, so far, seem to be restricted to La Liga. They’ve picked up three wins in the Champions League and are leading their group.
But domestically, they have failed to snatch maximum points from their last three attempts.
Real Betis, on the other hand, are coming into the match on the back of a comfortable 3-1 win over Elche, but their overall recent form — consisting of three defeats in five matches — is highly alarming.
Barcelona vs Real Betis: Team news
Barcelona
Barcelona keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen has returned to action and should start against Betis. Midfielder Philippe Coutinho, on the other hand, remains sidelined. Samuel Umtiti still has slight discomfort and remains a doubt for the match.
Absentees: Philippe Coutinho
Doubtful: Samuel Umtiti
Real Betis
Real Betis, unfortunately, are dealing with a bunch of notable injury concerns. Victor Camarasa, who is carrying a cruciate ligament injury, won’t be fit before March.
Andres Guardado and Juanmi have discomfort and are doubtful. Cristian Tello suffered a training injury, but should be fit to feature on Saturday.
Absentees: Victor Camarasa
Doubtful: Andres Guardado, Juanmi
Barcelona vs Real Betis: Probable XI
Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Dest, Lenglet, Pique, Alba; Pjanic, De Jong; Fati, Griezmann, Pedri; Messi;
Real Betis: Bravo; Emerson, Mandi, Bartra, Moreno; Fekir, Rodriguez, Canales; Joaquin, Sanabria, Tello;
Barcelona vs Real Betis: Where to watch
India: No Telecast
UK: La Liga TV (Premier Sports)
Stream in India: Facebook Watch on Facebook
Stream in the UK: Premier Sports Player
Barcelona vs Real Betis: Prediction
Many would believe that this is the ideal time to face Barcelona. Ronald Koeman’s side lack confidence, venom, and they’re often all over the place — defensively.
At home, Real Betis probably would’ve given this Barcelona an intense fight, probably would’ve stolen a point or three. However, at the Camp Nou, we don’t believe they’d enjoy the same degree of freedom.
Lionel Messi, who hasn’t scored a La Liga goal since the first Matchday, would be desperate to hit the back of the net this weekend. And we’re afraid Betis won’t have enough muscle to keep the Argentine out. It could be a close encounter, but we expect Barcelona to bag all three points.
Barcelona vs Real Betis predicted scoreline: 2-1
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