Preview: Real Betis vs Espanyol – prediction, team news, lineups

Espanyol‘s seek for their first win of 2026 will proceed on Saturday, with the Catalan outfit resuming their La Liga marketing campaign away to Real Betis.

The guests are presently eleventh within the La Liga table, 4 factors behind sixth-positioned Celta Vigo, whereas Real Betis are fifth, three factors forward of the team immediately under them.

Match preview

Real Betis are going for glory within the Europa League this season, with Manuel Pellegrini‘s facet reserving their spot within the quarter-finals of the competitors courtesy of a 4-0 win over Panathinaikos within the second leg of their final-16 conflict on March 19.

The Seville outfit will sort out Braga within the last eight, with the primary leg in Portugal going down subsequent week, however their present focus is on La Liga, and so they entered the March worldwide break off the again of a 2-1 defeat to Athletic Bilbao.

Pellegrini’s facet have a document of 11 wins, 11 attracts and 7 defeats from their 29 league matches this season, with 44 factors leaving them in fifth, 13 factors behind fourth-positioned Atletico Madrid and three away from Celta Vigo in sixth.

Real Betis have picked up 25 factors from their 14 residence league matches this season, solely struggling three defeats in entrance of their very own supporters.

Earlier this season, El Glorioso recorded a 2-1 victory within the reverse match, and they’re really presently on a 4-recreation successful run in opposition to Espanyol.

© Imago / IMAGO / Pressinphoto

Espanyol have solely managed to beat Real Betis as soon as since October 2017, whereas their final success over the Seville outfit away from residence was again in October 2016.

The Catalan team had been very spectacular within the first half of the 2025-26 marketing campaign, nevertheless it has been a disastrous 2026, having didn’t document a single win.

Espanyol’s final success was a 2-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao on December 22; since then, they’ve performed 12 occasions in Spain’s high flight, dropping eight and drawing 4.

Unsurprisingly, that poor type has seen them drop away from the European spots, though Manolo Gonzalez‘s facet are nonetheless within the race for the highest six, presently sitting eleventh, 4 factors behind sixth-positioned Celta Vigo with 9 video games left to play.

The White and Blues entered the March worldwide break off the again of a 2-1 defeat to Getafe, whereas their final away match resulted in a 2-1 loss to Mallorca.

Real Betis La Liga type:

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Real Betis type (all competitions):

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Espanyol La Liga type:

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Team News

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Real Betis might be with out the providers of Isco and Angel Ortiz resulting from harm, whereas Giovani Lo Celso stays a doubt for the Seville outfit this weekend.

Antony is the team’s main goalscorer this season, netting 12 occasions in all competitions, and there might be one other begin down the correct for the previous Manchester United attacker.

Cucho Hernandez has additionally had a robust scoring marketing campaign, discovering the again of the web on 11 events, and the 26-yr-previous will lead the road, with Cedric Bakambu on the bench.

As for Espanyol, Javi Puado is a protracted-time period absentee for the Catalan team, whereas Fernando Calero faces a late health check earlier than his availability might be decided.

The guests can even be with out the providers of Charles Pickel by suspension.

Kike Garcia is Espanyol’s main goalscorer this season, scoring eight occasions, and the 36-yr-previous is anticipated to be given the nod over Roberto Fernandez within the last third of the sphere.

Real Betis doable beginning lineup:

Lopez; Bellerin, Llorente, Natan, Rodriguez; Antony, Fornals, Roca, Amrabat, Ezzalzouli; Hernandez

Espanyol doable beginning lineup:

Dmitrovic; El Hilali, Riedel, Cabrera, Romero; Lozano, Zarate; Dolan, Exposito, Terrats; Garcia

We say: Real Betis 2-0 Espanyol

Espanyol’s winless run will come to an finish at some stage, however we’re not anticipating that to be the case this weekend; Real Betis are a robust outfit, and we’re discovering it very troublesome to foretell something apart from a win for the Seville team.

For information evaluation of the almost certainly outcomes, scorelines and extra for this match please click here.