Sevilla vs Real Betis Preview & Prediction | 2024-25 Spanish Primera
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Down in Andalusia this weekend we have one of the fiercest rivalries anywhere in European football, let alone in Spanish football, as El Gran Derby between Seville and Real Betis takes place in ‘the frying pan of Spain’.
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Sunday 6th October, 2024 - UK – 5:30pm / US ET – 12:30pm / US PT – 9:30am
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – Premier Sports / US – ESPN have the exclusive rights to La Liga games in the USA, so Sevilla vs Real Betis may be televised on one of their affiliated channels
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – Premier Sports / US – ESPN+
SEVILLA PREVIEW: IMPROVED SEVILLA
In each of the last two seasons, Sevilla have required three managers to eventually steer themselves away from the bottom three and the relegation places. There is a bit of a mess off the field and they haven’t been fluent at the start of this season but summer appointment Garcia Pimienta is beginning to get a tune out of his side.
The home team come into this one on the back of a 1-1 draw with Athletic Club at San Mames in the Basque Country last weekend. They were behind in that game until benefitting from Athletic goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala being sent off in the 82nd minute and then his replacement, Alex Padilla, scoring an own goal in second-half stoppage-time.
REAL BETIS PREVIEW: STRONG BETIS
Coached by former Malaga, Manchester City, Real Madrid and West Ham United boss Manuel Pellegrini, Real Betis have a squad full of recognisable faces and names with a lot of experience, despite the loss of key players such as Ayoze Perez and Nabil Fekir late in the summer transfer window.
They have remained strong, though, but do come into this one on the back of a 1-0 defeat in the Polish capital against Legia Waraw in their opening UEFA Europa Conference League league phase match in midweek. In La Liga, they have suffered just two defeats in their opening eight matches of the campaign.
SEVILLA TEAM NEWS: MIDFIELD ISSUES
Sevilla do have a few issues to deal with in their midfield ahead of this one and a couple of them are summer signings in Albert Sambi Lokonga and Saul Niguez.
As well as those couple of absentees, Sevilla remain without Djibril Sow as they are forced to shuffle the pack in the midfield for the home team.
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Nyland; Carmona, Bade, Nianzou, Barco; Agoume, Gudelj; Lukebakio, Peque, Ejuke; Iheanacho
UNAVAILABLE: Sow (Injured), Lokonga (Injured), Saul (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
REAL BETIS TEAM NEWS: RECOGNISABLE ABSENTEES
As mentioned, Betis’ squad is a who’s who of players that were once viewed as potentially world class throughout the 2010’s and they are actually missing a couple of those players.
Both William Carvalho and former Real Madrid man Isco remain sidelined for Betis, whilst defensive duo Marc Bartra and Youssouf Sabaly are both doubts.
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Silva; Bellerin, Llorente, Natan, Rodriguez; Altimira, Roca; Losada, Lo Celso, Abde Ez; Bakambu
UNAVAILABLE: Carvalho (Injured), Isco (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE: Bartra (Injured), Sabaly (Injured)
SEVILLA VS REAL BETIS PREDICTION
El Gran Derbi is, as mentioned, a fiery affair in the stands and the expectation is that it often feeds into the players on the pitch. That means we may well have quite a gripping encounter for the neutral but it may not be a thriller in terms of the actual football, especially given the fact the two sides have scored just eight goals apiece thus far. As a result, a low-scoring affair seems quite likely for this one at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.
SEVILLA VS REAL BETIS TIP: UNDER 3.5 GOALS
