Barcelona vs Real Betis
Barcelona are two wins away from winning one of the biggest domestic trophies in Spain, which is the Spanish Super Cup. They’re already in the semi-finals, and they’ll take on Real Betis this Thursday at a neutral venue in the King Fahd Stadium.
Last season, they reached this stage as well, but were eliminated by eventual winners Real Madrid. On the other hand, Real Betis qualified because they’re the reigning Copa del Rey titlists.
Both sides had La Liga games earlier this week, as Xavi’s men are fresh from a heated 1-0 victory against Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid yesterday, whereas Manuel Pellegrini’s Real Betis just defeated Rayo Vallecano on Sunday with a scoreline of 2-1.
To their credit, Barcelona and Real Betis have yet to lose a match this year, but only one of them can stay undefeated after this game on Thursday.
Talking Points
Real Betis have a new standout
Manuel Pellegrini looks like he has discovered a young gem in Luiz Henrique, as the 22-year-old winger is now the team’s second-leading scorer this season with three goals and three assists.
With Juanmi, their top scorer last season, struggling to regain his form, Henrique has been given a chance to start alongside the likes of Nabil Fekir, Sergio Canales, and Borja Iglesias.
Luiz Henrique came to Real Betis from Fluminense last summer for around €13-M. He has agreed to a long-term contract with Los Verdiblancos until 2028.
Real Betis have a history of scouring for young Brazilian talents like Emerson Royal and Junior Firpo. Henrique is far from a finished article, but he has a great opportunity here at Real Betis.
After a strong start in the 2022–23 campaign, Real Betis have been inconsistent, and it’s going to be a tricky January for them – both on and off the pitch. Off the field, this refers to the fact that their star players, Nabil Fekir and Borja Iglesias, have been linked with moves away from Benito Villamarin.
They’re holding the final Champions League berth since they’re fourth in the La Liga standings. And should they go all the way in the Spanish Super Cup, then that would boost their morale even more.
Robert Lewandowski is back temporarily for Barcelona
With Robert Lewandowski suspended for their next three La Liga games, Xavi is likely to play him here in the Spanish Super Cup semi-finals.
Lewandowski, 34, was sent off against Osasuna 12 days before the start of the World Cup. He was given a one-game ban for the dismissal and a further two games because of his subsequent conduct, in which he made a distasteful gesture towards the referees as he walked off the pitch.
Barcelona appealed the sanction, and it was temporarily placed on hold pending resolution by the Central Tribunal, allowing the Pole to play against Espanyol on New Year’s Eve.
However, Spain’s Administrative Sports Court (TAD) officially upheld the three-game ban on Wednesday. After missing out against Atleti yesterday, Lewandowski won’t be available against Getafe and Girona later this month.
The former Bayern Munich superstar has 18 goals in all competitions so far this season, and he’s capable of adding entries to the Spanish Super Cup 2023 highlights reel this week.
History
Real Betis and Barcelona will meet for the first time since May 2022. In their previous encounter, Barcelona won 2-1 in thrilling fashion, as Ansu Fati and Jordi Alba’s goals were enough to cancel out Marc Bartra’s score.
Barcelona became the first La Liga team to score 100 away goals against Real Betis in the competition’s history.
Los Verdiblancos’ home win rate against the Blaugrana in La Liga is quite low at 29-per cent, which doesn’t offer much hope for the hosts this Thursday (W16, D14, L26).
Seven of their last eight matchups across all competitions have produced at least three goals. Their last clean sheet was a 1-0 result in favour of Real Betis last December 2021.
Betting Tip
The SBOTOP Spanish Super Cup 2023 odds favor Barcelona to advance to the finals, as they’re installed at 1.50, while Real Betis are priced at 5.80, and a draw is at 4.10 in the 1X2 market.
Since they’re the favourites to win, there’s more pressure on Barcelona. However, they should have enough to squeak past a feisty Real Betis side.
High-scoring affairs are no longer new in this fixture, and maybe we’ll have another barnburner this Thursday, making Over 2.75 @ 1.86 a betting option that you might want to consider.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT))
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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