Valencia vs Real Betis Predictions & Match Preview

Valencia vs Real Betis predictions and match preview for Thursday’s LaLiga fixture. Read on for analysis, team news and predicted lineups as Manuel Pellegrini takes his team to Mestalla.

Valencia vs Real Betis Preview

On Thursday Valencia host Real Betis in the Estadio Mestalla. When these two sides face each other they are always good games. With the World Cup starting next week, a win here would be a big boost for both clubs before the break.

Valencia are winless in their last five games and are now closer to the relegation zone than the European places. Los Che have had some bad luck recently. Own goals and giving too many penalties away hasn’t helped them alongside conceding last minute goals. Gennaro Gattuso’s side are playing well but just can’t seem to finish off teams and they are making too many mistakes.

In their last outing, it was a calamity of errors which then led to an own goal from Hugo Guillamon that put opponents La Real ahead. In the 17th minute though, Aritz Elustondo was sent off for a nasty tackle on Brazilian Samuel Dias Lino. It was then Lino who soon got the equaliser and there was plenty of time for Valencia to dictate the pace but it was 10-man Real Sociedad who did much of the pushing and they were the ones who came closest to scoring having a one shot hit the post and another headed off the line. Los Che did start to threaten late on but with not a lot of quality. Gattuso will know that if his side want anything from this game they have to stop giving silly goals away.

Betis are in fine form at the minute finishing top of their group in the Europa League without losing and if they get something out of this game, they will see themselves sitting in the Champions League places in LaLiga heading into the World Cup break.

In their last outing, they drew with arch rivals Sevilla 1-1 in a memorable Gran Derbi. Three red cards, an own goal and an end to end game that could have been won by either side. Going into this one, they will be without Nabil Fekir and leading goal scorer Borja Iglesias as they are suspended. Both will be a big miss.

Although they have suspensions, Los Verdiblancos do have three clean sheets in their last three league away games and are also unbeaten in their last five games against Valencia. Head Coach Manuel Pellegrini will be more than confident going into this one.

Team News & Possible Lineups

Valencia

Possible XI: Mamardashvili – Gaya, Comert, Paulista, Correia – Musah, Guillamon, Almeida – Lino, Andre, Castillejo (4-3-3)

Coach: Gennaro Gattuso

Real Betis

Possible XI: Silva – Moreno, Ruiz, Pezzella, Sabaly – Akouokou, Carvalho – Henrique, Canales, Rodri – Willian Jose (4-2-3-1)

Coach: Manuel Pellegrini

Score Prediction: Valencia 1-2 Real Betis

Valencia have a point to prove as they haven’t scored against Betis in the last two games that have been played here and they certainly don’t want to make that a third. Form should play a part here and although Valencia may score, it is hard to look past an in-form Betis picking up all three points.

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