La Liga: Betis to Challenge Real Madrid at the Summit

Real Madrid vs Real Betis

Real Madrid and Real Betis are set for an important clash at the Bernabeu this Saturday with the top spot of the La Liga table up for grabs.

After the first three matchdays, these two teams are standing tall with three consecutive wins each. While many expect this from the defending champions Real Madrid, the same can’t be said exactly for Real Betis.

Betis mean business and they have a well-organised side under Manuel Pellegrini, but facing Los Blancos on the road is going to be their biggest challenge yet.

The pre-match SBOTOP betting odds may have the hosts as the huge favourites to win, but their visitors are going to give them a huge run for their money just like in their most recent encounters.

Talking Points

Real Madrid’s depth in full display

Real Madrid’s recent victory over relegation-threatened Espanyol looks familiar to their season opener against Almeria.

It can be remembered that against the newly-promoted side two weeks ago, Real Madrid were down by one goal early, but they reminded us why they’re the reigning champs by completing an impressive fight back courtesy of second half scores from Lucas Vazquez and David Alaba.

Last Monday, they found themselves in a position of having to make another furious comeback.

Vinicius Junior claimed the lead for Los Blancos 12 minutes in, but Espanyol hitman Joselu replied two minutes before half-time.

Real Madrid struggled early in the second half, so Carlo Ancelotti turned to his Champions League comeback formula from last season by bringing on Eduardo Camavinga and Rodrygo from the bench for fresher legs.

Rodrygo teed up Karim Benzema with a cross for the 88^th minute goal, and then the French talisman and Ballon d’Or candidate added one more to seal the deal at added time.

Camavinga did well during his short cameo, but it was Aurelien Tchouameni who stood out in this game since he was nearly flawless – pinging passes left and right for a 94-per cent completion rate.

Tchouameni looking at home is great news for Real Madrid since it softens the blow of losing Casemiro to Manchester United. Only a few teams enjoy the luxury that the defending champs have.

Borja Iglesias on fire for Real Betis

As it stands now, Borja Iglesias is the top scorer in La Liga with four goals after the first three matches. He and last season’s top scorer Juanmi are the main reasons why things are clicking for Los Verdiblancos.

After the game against Osasuna last weekend, Iglesias admitted that he’s in the best form of his career and he will make a strong case why he should be considered in Spain’s World Cup roster few months from now.

But while Real Betis’ initial La Liga 2022 results are commendable, they haven’t faced a top-tier squad and that’s what they’ll get from Real Madrid.

Elche, Mallorca, and Osasuna are teams normally residing at the bottom half of the table, so they have to do much better when they visit the reigning titlists.

History

While Real Madrid have the edge in their overall head-to-heads with Real Betis, they have won just two of their last seven La Liga matches against their green-shirted counterparts (D3, L2).

At the Bernabeu, Los Blancos are winless in five consecutive games against Los Verdiblancos in La Liga – which is their longest against them – and they have yet to score a goal as well.

Meanwhile, Real Betis are also winless in their last 11 visits to Madrid-based teams in La Liga (D6, L5), and they’ve failed to score in 10 of those fixtures since a 2-0 victory in May 2019 against Real Madrid.

Their most recent meeting took place in May where both teams had to settle for a goalless draw. Los Blancos defeated Los Verdiblancos in their reverse fixture last August 2021 (1-0).

Betting Tip

The La Liga 2022 odds are expecting Real Madrid to win in this contest. They’re priced at 1.40 in the 1X2 market, while Real Betis are the underdogs at 7.40 and chances for a draw are at 4.50.

Real Betis have fared much better against Real Madrid lately. And overall, we see this as a tight match that might be decided by a single goal, although we won’t be surprised if this ends up as a draw. Real Madrid thrive in these kinds of games, though, so we’re tipping them to win. On the other hand, Under 2.75 @ 2.36 sounds like a plausible alternative bet.

 

●●●

CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS

Stay updated with everything sports and betting.

Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.