Two teams belonging to the top five of the Spanish La Liga clash in Round 31! Itâs time to check our La Liga odds series, starring our Real Betis-Real Sociedad prediction, pick, and how-to-watch guide.
Real Betis will try to prevent a repeat of their last result in the Benito Villamarin Stadium. The Green and Whites had a 3-2 La Liga losing effort in their last game against Osasuna. Los Verdiblancos will be playing its fifth match this April, losing thrice.
Real Sociedad goes into this match following on from a 2-1 La Liga win to defeat Rayo Vallecano in their previous game. The Royals will be hoping to put an end to their five-game losing skid on the road.
Here are the Real Betis-Real Sociedad soccer odds, courtesy of FanDuel.Â
La Liga Odds: Real Betis-Real Sociedad Odds
Real Betis Balompie SAD: +185
Real Sociedad de Futbol: +150
Draw: +210
Over 2.5 Goals: +128
Under 2.5 Goals: -156
How to Watch Real Betis vs. Real Sociedad
TV: ESPN Deportes
Stream: DirecTV Stream, ESPN+, fuboTV
Time: 4 PM ET / 1 PM PT
*Watch soccer LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Real Betis Can Beat Real Sociedad
Real Betis had a solid season last year when they won the Copa del Rey and finished fifth in La Liga, just five points away from fourth place, which leads to the Champions League. This season, they could also miss the fourth place by a few points if they fail to win in this match against Real Sociedad, who are in fourth place with a six-point advantage.
This duel for fourth place is coming at a tricky moment for Real Betis, who are in poor form, with only three points in the last four matches. In Los Verderones' last game against Osasuna, Real Betis managed to get 62% possession, 21 shots on goal, and 13 corner kicks. For Real Betis, goals were scored by Juan Miranda (16â˛) and Guido RodrĂguez (70â˛). Those two goals were not enough as Ante Budimir scored a brace in 11 minutes while Jon Moncayola scored before half-time.
It is not been often in recent games that Real Betis have shown defensive steel. Real Betis have failed to prevent opponents from scoring in five of their previous six matches, leaking eight goals on the way. With just two wins in the last nine matches, Betis will not be going into this game with a lot of confidence. They have no clean sheet in the last four matches, though they can claim to have improved in attack in the last two matches, scoring five times. Betis must be eager to hold their ground on familiar territory, where they had an 8-3-4 home record and scored 22 goals.
Coach Manuel Pellegrini will have to deal with this game without some key players. One of the team's best midfielders, Nabil Fekir, is ruled out for the rest of the season with an ACL injury. Due to illness, Juanmi Jimenez missed the previous two games and should miss the Real Sociedad game too. Right full-back Youssouf Sabaly will miss the game with an ankle injury, and Martin Montoya will most likely start. A backup central defender, Victor Ruiz, should miss the game with a muscle injury. Just recently, Joaquin, Real Betis captain, and legend announced his retirement at the end of the current season. The 41-year-old Joaquin played 23 seasons in his career, 14 of them for Real Betis. Sergio Canales was suspended for four games for his comments about the referee, but the club appealed, and that sanction was suspended. If the Court dismisses the appeal in the upcoming days, Canales will miss the Real Sociedad game.
Borja Iglesias will continue to add to his tally of 12 goals and three assists. The same goes for Rodri Sanchez, who has two goals and three assists. Juanmi, Fekir, and Luiz Henrique have combined for 12 goal involvements and will also be involved in the attack. Real Betis hopes to match or exceed its averages of 1.3 goals, 11.3 total shots, 4.3 corner kicks, and 50.8% ball possession.
Why Real Sociedad Can Beat Real Betis
Real Sociedad is looking to take a step forward this season after securing Europa League three seasons in a row. They finished fifth and two times sixth in those three seasons, and in this one, they are currently fourth with a nice advantage. Still, Real Sociedad has a really tough schedule in the remaining rounds, so avoiding a loss in this game is crucial.
Coming from a recent match against Rayo Vallecano, Real Sociedad recorded 61% possession, seven attempts on goal, and three corner kicks. Alexander Sørloth scored for the White and Blues along with Florian Lejeune's own goal, while Isi Palazón scored for Los Franjirrojos.
Indeed, Imanol Alguacilâs side has failed to net in four of their last five fixtures on the road. On the road, Real Sociedad was good throughout the season, but lately, they have been awful and have won just once in the previous three months (eight games). Ten of their last 11 away fixtures have now contained fewer than three strikes, as have 15 of their 17 most recent outings across all venues.
Robin Le Normand served his one-game suspension and will return in the first eleven against Real Betis. The 26-year-old French is the team's key defender this season. A left full-back, Diego Rico, missed the last match with an ankle injury and could miss the next game too. Midfielder Martin Merquelanz is also dealing with a long-term injury and will remain sidelined.
Alexander Sorloth, Mikel Oyarzabal, and Takefusa Kubo are expected to lead the line for the Royal Blues. Real Soc hopes to add another win to their 8-2-5 away record and put more scoring marks in their 20 away goals.
Final Real Betis-Real Sociedad Prediction & Pick
Real Betis will be challenged at home, but Real Sociedad has been thriving in the past fixtures. A high-scoring match is expected but the guests will come on top.
Follow Us
Subscribe