Barcelona vs Real Betis: Match preview, team news, tickets and prediction

Champions FC Barcelona will have their hands full when they welcome Real Betis to their Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys home for their La Liga Matchday Five meeting. The end of the international break means that club football makes its return after a somewhat drab two weeks for football fans.

The Blaugrana will be seeking a fourth league win on the bounce when Europe-bound Real Betis come into town for their encounter.

The fixture between Barcelona and Real Betis promises to be one of the most exciting of the week, given the quality of both sides. Also looking at their early season form, it will be difficult to pick between both sides. Barcelona are in third place in La Liga with ten points, with Real Betis four places and three points behind them.

Barcelona limped to victory in Pamplona against Osasuna in their last league match before the break, needing a late penalty from Robert Lewandowski to pick up maximum points in the encounter. Real Betis also claimed a narrow win over Rayo Vallecano, their second of the 2023-24 season.

MATCH PREVIEW

Over the years, Spanish football has known two dominant sides, Barcelona and Real Madrid. In recent years, however, a number of clubs, led by Atletico Madrid, have come to make the league more competitive. One such club is Real Betis under the management of Mauricio Pellegrini. The former Manchester City manager has made his side one of the league’s best, winning the Copa del Rey in 2022 against Valencia. He also led the side to a sixth-place finish last season, and a place in this season’s UEFA Europa League group stage.

Real Betis have started the season in impressive fashion, defeating Villarreal and Rayo Vallecano in their opening four games of the season. They remain the only side to take points off the high-flying Atletico Madrid, holding them to a goalless draw on Matchday Two. They suffered a defeat at the hands of Athletic Club on Matchday Three and will be keen to avoid the same fate in Catalunya.

Barcelona finished with ten men and no goals in their opening game against Getafe as they looked flat and labored at the start of their title defence. Since then, however, it has been a different story for the Blaugrana. They defeated Cadiz, Villarreal and Osasuna to go on a three-game winning run. Faced with three consecutive home games, Barcelona will attempt to go on a strong run of results to put them in a great position from the start of the season.

The La Liga giants have a great record against Real Betis, winning four of their last five encounters. Their sole defeat came in front of their own fans in December 2021 when Juanmi scored the game’s only goal in a close contest.

Real Betis were very good last season, and look even better following the additions of some top players this summer, including Moroccan winger Abde Ezzalzouli from Barcelona. They also signed Marc Roca on loan, as well as Spanish international Isco on a free transfer.

Barcelona were also active in the transfer window this summer, signing Inigo Martinez, Ilkay Gundogan, Joao Cancelo, Joao Felix and Oriol Romeu. They were forced to sell Ousmane Dembele and loan out Ansu Fati, but the emergence of 16-year-old Lamine Yamal has compensated for their losses. Xavi has a deep squad at his disposal, with multiple quality players fighting for spots in his team.

HOW TO WATCH

The match will be broadcast live on ESPN+ so subscribers can watch the match from the comfort of their own home. For those that want the full matchday experience, you buy Barcelona vs Real Betis tickets online at sites like Seatsnet.com. But hurry, as the game is in high demand and is expected to sell out fast.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal generated a lot of buzz from the time he made his first-team debut at age 15 last season. His growth has been tremendous since, and he has become a regular for his boyhood club at just 16 years of age. He has delivered two assists in four league appearances for his boyhood club this season. He also made his international debut for Spain, mere months after appearing for the U-17s at the Euros. He scored on his debut for Spain to become their youngest player and youngest goalscorer ever.

German goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen captains Barcelona now and is a key player, having joined from Borussia Dortmund in 2015. Ter Stegen is one of the world’s best goalkeepers at present and has shown his worth to the club. He played a pivotal role for the side as they won the league last season, and will play a huge part once more.

Real Betis man Isco has hit the ground running at the Estadio Benito Villamarin since moving this summer. His level of performance and impact has surprised many, earning Man of the Match honours in all four of his games so far. He will be an important player for his side and is certainly one to look out for in the game.

Morocco international Ez Abde joined Real Betis for €7.5 million as he sought a more defined role. The 23-year-old was tipped to star for Barcelona this season but chose to move to Seville instead. The Blaugrana retain a buy-back clause for the winger, and he will be keen to prove a point against his former side.

Barcelona La Liga Form Guide: D W W W

Real Betis La Liga Form Guide: W D L W

TEAM NEWS

Barcelona will be without the injured duo of Ronald Araujo and Pedri for the clash as the pair remain sidelined. German midfielder Ilkay Gundogan is also a doubt after suffering an injury in his country’s 2-1 win over France. There is the possibility of both Joao Felix and Joao Cancelo making their full debuts for the club.

Barcelona Possible XI: Ter Stegen, Cancelo, Kounde, Christensen, Balde, Romeu, De Jong, Gavi, Felix, Lewandowski, Yamal.

Real Betis will miss Claudio Bravo, Aitor Ruibal, Luiz Henrique, William Carvalho and Nabil Fekir through injury. Abde will be available to make his debut for the club from the start of the game.

Real Betis Possible XI: Silva, Bellerin, Pezzella, Bartra, Abner, Rodriguez, Roca, Isco, Abde, Rodri, Willian Jose.

Our Prediction: Barcelona 3-1 Real Betis

Barcelona have form on their side and should be able to overcome Real Betis without much fuss. The champions will prove too strong for Pellegrini’s side and claim maximum points from the encounter.