Real Bétis vs Real Sociedad Prediction - The Last Breath Before The Plunge For Bétis

Next Saturday, the almost relegated Real Bétis will entertain Real Sociedad at Benito Villamarín for round 35 of Liga BBVA on a match that might be the last breath of hope from the Béticos at La Liga. After last weekend’s defeat at Vallecas against Rayo, Real Bétis have almost sealed their faith in terms of relegation. Although it is still mathematically possible, the chances of Bétis securing a place at the Spanish football top tier next season are almost a mirage. The Béticos would need to win all the remaining matches and hope for their direct opponents to lose all their respective matches.

Gabriel Calderón’s side are currently going through their worst moment this season after four consecutive defeats. With five wins and twenty-two defeats, this is the worst season of Real Bétis’ history at La Liga. If relegation wasn’t already a big enough problem, the Andalusian side is also facing severe financial problems and if one combines these two factors with a fair amount of bad luck, one cannot hope for anything better than an almost certain relegation.

For next Saturday’s match against Real Sociedad, the Argentinean manager will probably not be able to count on Chuli, Didac Vilà, Salva Sevilla, and Xavi Torres, all injured.

Real Sociedad, on the other hand, seem to be back on track, after their home win last weekend against Espanyol. The Basque team were on a three match row without a single win and they had conceded six goals in just two matches, four against Real Madrid and two against Celta de Vigo. Real Sociedad were clearly far from being at their best moment, although their last weekend win might provide them enough motivation to secure their place among the top seven until the end of the season.

For next Saturday’s clash at Benito Villamarín, Jagoba Arrasate will probably still not be able to count on the talented Spanish midfielder Xabi Prieto, who is not yet fully recovered from his recent injury. On the other hand, the Basque head coach will certainly be happy to know that Antoine Griezmann will be able to give his contribution to the team once again after having missed last match due to suspension.

When both sides met at Anoeta last December, the home side severely hammered Bétis 5-1 with goals from Ansotegui, Griezmann, Xabi Prieto, and two from Agirretxe. Next Saturday’s match might, in fact, not be any different from their last clash, particularly if we have in mind the fragile moment Real Bétis are going through and the need of the Basque team to grant their place in the UEFA competitions next season.

Real Bétis

Stats: W-5 L-22 D-7

Recent Form - WLLLL

Real Sociedad

Stats: W-15 L-10 D-9

Recent Form - WDLDW

Possible Line-ups

Real Bétis (4-3-3) - Adán - Molina - Perquis - Paulão - Chica - Nono - N’Diaye - Reyes - L. Batistao - R. Castro - J. Molina

Real Sociedad (4-2-3-1) - Bravo - C. Martínez - Ansotegi - M. González- J. Ángel - R. Pardo - Bergara - Griezmann - Canales - Vela - Agirretxe

Prediction

Real Bétis 1 Real Sociedad 2