La Liga: Can Betis Pull Girona Back to Earth?

Real Betis vs Girona FC

Aside from Atletico Madrid and Sevilla, Matchday 18 will be the last La Liga skirmish for the calendar year. SBOTOP football fans are definitely on the edge of their seats, waiting to find out if Girona will be the kings of the Spanish top flight by the end of 2023.

The team that’s getting in Girona’s way on Matchday 18 is the halted Real Betis, who have been floating around the top flight with four draws in their last five La Liga matches. Pellegrini and the rest of his team look forward to ending their year on a high note after a stagnant stretch of football for the past few weeks.

The winner of this contest will surely headline La Liga 2023 news, given the severity of what’s on the line for both Girona and Betis.

Talking Points

Girona hold on to their lead      

Artem Dovbyk and his mates returned to the top of the La Liga table after a convincing 3-0 win over Luis García’s Alaves. Their win lifted them two points ahead of Los Blancos and nine points clear of third-placed Barcelona.

The match against Alaves took a dark turn for Luis García and his team in minute 23, when Dovbyk opened the game up for his team with a short-range header that came from a deflected save from keeper Antonio Sivera. That goal was just the start of what was a very long night for Alaves.

Christian Portu doubled their lead right before halftime as he struck the ball that weaved its way past multiple Alaves defenders. The game was wide open at this point, but a penalty kick in the second half served as a cherry on top for Girona’s successful outing. Turkish forward Artem Dovbyk took the penalty kick to give his side a 3-0 lead and put the nail in the coffin for the visiting side.

Dovbyk now has 10 goals in 16 games, bolstering his reputation as a bonafide goal scorer. Only Jude Bellingham has more goals in the Spanish top flight, with 13 after 15 appearances.

Astoundingly, the meteoric rise of Girona has them towering over Real Madrid, Barcelona, Real Sociedad, and Atletico Madrid, who are all competing in the round of 16 of the Champions League.

Real Betis continue their stalemates

Betis have been on a tepid stretch of football for the past few matchdays in La Liga and in the Europa League as well.

Pellegrini’s team tallied four draws in their last five La Liga matches, forcing them to miss out on improving a couple of places up the league standings and now have to fend off clubs like Getafe and Las Palmas, who are just two points behind them in the table.

Adding insult to injury, Betis came short in their Matchday 6 clash in Group C of the Europa League. Rangers edged out Betis thanks to a late goal from Kemar Roofe that gave Rangers a 3-2 lead in the last minutes of the game.

With this loss, Isco, Nebil Fekir, and the rest of their team have missed their opportunity to compete in the play-offs. Betis will pack their bags and exit the Europa League with nothing to show for. They started the group stages with three straight wins, but like in their domestic form, Pellegrini and his squad have suffered a dip in tenacity and form.

Betis aim to turn things around. before the year ends, but they have a tall order going up against the Spanish League’s best.

History

Michel’s side has taken the league by storm this season. Girona are usually found at the bottom half of the La Liga table by the end of the season if they’re not competing in the Segunda Division. Which is why in their past 12 head-to-head matchups against Betis, Girona have only managed to win one match, while Los Verdiblancos have won the majority of the matches with 10.

The only win Girona had against Betis was when they met in the Segunda Division way back in 2010. But with Blanquivermells’ narrative this season, it’s not surprising for Michel and his team to break the losing streak against Betis during their Matchday 18 clash.

It’s a small sample size for these clubs, but they’ve managed to score a respectable amount of 31 goals when they face off.

Betting Tip

Right off the bat, punters would immediately take notice of Girona’s odds to win at 2.36. The La Liga 2023 odds have the best team in the Spanish top flight as only the slight favourites against a stagnant Real Betis, who are priced at 2.68 to win and 3.28 to draw.

The generous price of Girona at 2.36 is surely a line everyone should consider, given that Girona’s relentless form still has them as the number one seed in the La Liga standings, and coupled with a price of 2.36, it will surely catch the attention of football fans from all over the world.

Another line that holds tremendous value is Girona’s -0.25 Asian Handicap at 2.13. This goes hand in hand with the 1X2 prices, where it’s suggested that the league leaders will come out as the victors. Boasting the best offence in Spain, it’s not a lofty ask for Girona to win by a bunch of goals over a still Betis squad.

 

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