Real Betis will face a key game on Saturday in their quest to earn a spot in the Champions League for next season as they host Barcelona.
Bookmaker 10bet has the odds at 2.30 for a Betis win in the draw no bet market and at 1.66 for a Barcelona victory.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: May 6th, 8:00 A.M. (EST)
Betis, who haven’t played in the Champions League since 2005-06, currently sit fifth in the table, three points adrift from Atletico Madrid. With a meeting against Real Madrid also coming up, the chances of Betis reaching the top four seem slim but they definitely should not be disregarded from the race.
Los Verdiblancos could easily be sitting in a much better position if it wasn’t for a three-game win-less run. The team has picked up wins regularly throughout the season, but it looks like they got distracted by the Spanish Cup final that was played on Apr. 23.
Betis collected just one point in two games before beating Valencia on penalties to claim their third Copa del Ray crown and their league season continued after the triumph with a goalless draw against Getafe.
The team will be happy to have won a trophy this season but getting to the Champions League for only the second time in club history might even feel like a bigger achievement.
Betis’ success is built on great balance. Having scored 56 goals, Manuel Pellegrini’s side boasts the fourth-best attacking record in the league and they have a top-eight defense with 38 goals conceded.
Nabil Fekir is the brains behind Betis’ attacking play and he’ll be looking to cause trouble for Barcelona all night long on Saturday.
Sitting on six goals and seven assists in 30 league appearances, Fekir’s stats actually don’t stand out too much but he’s capable of deciding a game in an instant.
Barcelona are second in the table with a seven-point advantage over Betis and it should be only a matter of time before they lock up a Champions League spot although the team’s recent form has left a few question marks.
Barca put together a 23-game unbeaten run across all competitions and even beat Real Madrid away from home 4-0 during Xavi’s first few months in charge, but things suddenly went downhill a few weeks ago and they have now lost three of their last five matches. The Blaugrana even took three consecutive losses at home before taking care of Mallorca 2-1 in their last Camp Nou outing.
