Overview
Real Betis have been in relatively impressive form recently. The 2-1 victory over Sevilla was the 6th consecutive victory of coach Manuel Pellegrini's team in La Liga.
However, Real Betis also paid a heavy price after the win over Sevilla. So far midfielder Isco has received a yellow card and will be suspended for the next match for accumulating enough free cards. The former Real Madrid star is Real Betis' most important player and his absence in the upcoming confrontation is a big loss.
Things got worse when Real Betis had to travel to Barcelona's home ground. Compared to Real Betis, the Catalan giants have even more impressive form with 9 consecutive wins.
In a series of 9 consecutive wins in La Liga, coach Hansi Flick's team scored 30 goals. This is enough to make every defense shudder. The Blaugrana also showed stability at home with a series of 6 consecutive wins.
The absence of Isco will affect their creativity in midfield, forcing Betis to rely more on quick counter-attacks against Barcelona. However, with Barcelona's recent high form, their chances of winning points are limited.
In the last five meetings between the two sides, there have been at least four goals, with Barca winning four. In the most recent confrontation in January this year at Copa del Rey, Barcelona won 5-1 with an impressive performance by Lamine Yamal.
Personnel situation
Robert Lewandowski will return to the Barca starting lineup after making way for Ferran Torres in the Copa del Rey. Dani Olmo has joined Andreas Christensen, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Marc Bernal and Marc Casado on the injury list.
On the other side of the front line, Betis lost key player Isco due to suspension. This was a big blow to their chances in this match. Giovani Lo Celso will start, while Abde Ezzalzouli and Marc Roca are still doubtful.
Expected lineup:
Barcelona: Szczesny, Balde, Araujo, Cubarsi, Kounde, De Jong, Gavi, Pedri, Raphinha, Lewandowski, Yamal.
Real Betis: Adrian, R. Rodriguez, Llorente, Bartra, Sabaly, Altimira, Cardoso, Lo Celso, J. Rodriguez, C. Hernandez, Antony.
The match between Barcelona and Real Betis takes place at 2:00 am on April 6 (Vietnam time).
