3/8/20 4 pm
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Real Betis is hosting Real Madrid at Benito Villamarin in part of round 27 of Spanish LaLiga.
Earlier in the season, Betis was playing some of the best soccer in LaLiga, but they haven’t won any of their last 7 games and they are now in low 14th place in the standings with only 30 points. Betis has conceded at least one goal in 6 of their last 7 games and this inconsistent defense is the main reason why Betis is not higher in the standings. In the attacking end, Betis has a lot of potentials, we have seen some of that earlier in the season, but overall, Betis is solid in the attacking end this season with 36 scored goals. In their last LaLiga match against Valencia on the road, Betis has been a slightly better team with 66% of ball possession, 5 shots on goal, 7 corner kicks, and 89% of accurate passes. Even though Betis was a bit better team in this game, their defense was once again playing really bad and they lost this match 2-1. Loren has scored 9 goals for Betis this season, while Joaquin added 8 goals, and Fekir scored 7 times. Junami is the only injured player for Betis. The schedule is tough for Betis in the next two games where they will face Real Madrid and Sevilla, but after that Betis will play against teams that are in their rank, and the teams Betis can certainly beat. I was expecting for Betis to be in the top 8 in LaLiga this season, but with the way they have been playing recently, Betis will be lucky if they end up in the top 10.
Real Madrid has only 2 wins in their last 6 games, but their latest win came against Barcelona in the El Clasico. In the first half of this game, Real was under pressure and they had to defend and their goalkeeper Curtois had to bail them out a couple of times. The second half was a completely different story. Real Madrid was determined, focused, and in complete control. Overall, Real Madrid had 44% of ball possession, 5 shots on goal, 8 corner kicks, and 88% of the correct passes. I’m a Barcelona fan, but I must admit that Real Madrid has deserved to win this game, and they did, 2-0. This victory came at the right time, and against the right opponent for Real Madrid because not only they have taken over the top of LaLiga once again, but they are also filled with confidence and are back on winning track, just in time for the second leg of the Champions League against Manchester City in 2 weeks. Real Madrid now has 56 points, 48 scored goals, and for the record low 17 conceded goals. Benzema has scored 13 goals and added 6 assists for Real Madrid this season, while Ramos added 5 goals. Asensio and Hazard are the only two injured players for Real Madrid. Asensio is close to being ready to play again, but the season is over for Hazard, and even the Euro Cup is questionable for Hazard. The race for LaLiga title is finally tight and tense, and it’s between Real Madrid and Barcelona once again. In the Champions League, Real Madrid has lost at home in the first leg against Manchester City, and to be honest, I’m not sure Real Madrid has enough firepower to compete with City in Manchester in two weeks.
I expect this to be a rough match with a lot of fouls and cards, but I also expect goals on both sides. I give the advantage to Real Madrid here, but I also think that Betis will get out of this slump they are in soon.
Goran’s Pick Both teams to score and over 2.5 -120
AUTHOR: Goran Kucar
Follow Goran Kucar on Twitter @GoranKucar