La Liga: Top Six Clash in Seville

Real Betis vs Athletic Bilbao

Sixth plays fourth at the Estadio Benito Villamarin on Thursday when Ernesto Valverde takes his high-flying Athletic Bilbao to take on European rivals Real Betis.

The Spanish league is hot on the heels of the Premier League in restarting after the World Cup and the La Liga game between Real Betis and Athletic Bilbao is the standout fixture of the first round of fixtures.

Manuel Pellegrini is looking for an upturn in form from his Betis side and they come into the game on the back of a 1-1 friendly draw with Inter Milan, while Bilbao have made it through to the third round of the Copa del Rey after edging out Segunda Division side Sestao.

This is a clash which could go either way, and though the two teams are two places apart spilt by Atletico Madrid, all three have accumulated 24 points from 14 games with seven victories, three draws, and four defeats.

The winner (if there is one) will put in a convincing claim for a Champions League place and that would be the perfect way to finish off 2022.

Talking Points

Tricky January for Betis

Manuel Pellegrini led Los Verdiblancos to a strong start in the 2022/23 campaign but a tail off in form has seen them slip to sixth place in the table though they can climb again if they manage to produce a quick upturn.

But not only does Betis need things to improve on the pitch, they also risk losing one or two of their most influential players.

There is already some uncertainly over the future of winger Nabil Fekir, with Premier League big spenders Newcastle United said to be eying up a deal for the France international.

A report in the Spanish media has suggested the Magpies may be willing to splash €60-M on the former Liverpool target and that would be a hard offer to refuse. Fekir hasn’t been as prolific this term as last, but his acceleration and close ball skills can often make him too hot to handle.

Striker Borja Iglesias is top scoring with eight goals and he is said to be on Atletico Madrid’s shopping list as Los Rojiblancos are preparing for the possible exit of Joao Felix. Both Fekir and Iglesias are key to Betis’ attack while Portuguese midfielder William Carvalho does a vital job in protecting his defence and supporting the attack. His performance is pivotal to Betis’ success and Pellegrini will hope to have all three in his squad at the beginning of February.

Bilbao looking to pick up where they left off

Bilbao head coach Ernesto Valverde returned to the club at the start of this campaign, having managed Los Leones for four years between 2013 and 2017 and he also had an illustrious playing career at Saint Mames, scoring 44 goals in 170 appearances for the club.

And his return sparked a bright 14 games from Los Leones as they look to improve on last season’s eighth placed finish. Valverde inherited a strong squad which he has moulded into an effective unit from back to front.

While some of the top Spanish clubs had players going deep into the World Cup, neither Real Betis nor Athletic Club were overly stretched in that respect, but Bilbao keeper Unai Simon has established himself as Spain’s No. 1. His command of his penalty area and superb distribution has edged out Manchester United’s David de Gea and, at 25 years of age, it is his position to lose.

Defender Oscar de Marcos has racked up almost 350 games for the club and he can also operate in defensive midfield, while brothers Inaki and Nico Williams are also Basque boys through and through.

Inaki has scored 58 goals in 286 appearances for Bilbao, while 20-year-old Nico broke into the Spain team in Qatar and is one of the most exciting wing talents in European football.

And he provides La Liga 2022 highlights alongside 26-year-old striker Gorka Guruzeta, who returned to the club last summer and has bagged five goals in seven games.

History

The head-to-heads between these two sides ebbed and flowed over the years with Betis winning 16 of the encounters, Bilbao winning 21, and there have been 17 draws while last season Los Verdiblancos won this fixture 1-0 

Bilbao are on a winning streak of seven games and four on the road, while Real Betis have won one, drawn one, and lost four of their last six matches.  

Betting Tip

The pre-match La Liga 2022 betting odds make this a tough call to make with the visitors marginal favourites at 2.56, the hosts at SBOTOP odds of 2.60 and the draw priced at 3.06. Betis were on the slide before the World Cup but the break may have done them good and I expect a tight game with a 1-1 draw or a winner by the odd goal.

 

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