It was another memorable trip to Vallecas for Barcelona, but once again, for the wrong reasons. Fortunately, the slip up did no damage to their standings in the table and will look to get their groove back as they take on Real Betis for the 3rd time this season, having overcome them in the Spanish Supercup Semi final and at the Benito Villamarin in La Liga. It's the last game of the month, and what better way to end it than with a convincing winning performance?
Real Betis will not roll over and play dead though. Having won only 1 of their last 5 games, they currently sit at 6th, behind Villareal and La Real. The least objective Manuel Pellegrini could achieve at this stage is European football. They won at the Camp Nou last season. Can they do it again?
INTERESTING STATS
- Barcelona have won seven of their last eight games against Real Betis in La Liga (L1). Their only defeat in this run came in their most recent home game against them in the competition (0-1 in December 2021).
- Barcelona will head into this game off the back of losing 1-2 to Rayo Vallecano in La Liga. They have not lost two in a row since October 2021.
- At home, they are one of three teams to have not suffered a defeat this season across the big five European leagues, alongside Union Berlin and Bayern Munich (W12 D3).
- Real Betis have won just one of their last five La Liga matches (D1 L3), 3-1 against Espanyol on 15 April, having won four of their previous six in the competition (D2).
- Real Betis have failed to score in three of their last five La Liga matches (W1 D1 L3), having found the back of the net in nine of their previous 11 league games (W6 D2 L3).
- Manuel Pellegrini has lost 12 of his last 13 games against Barcelona in La Liga (W1), having lost just four of his previous ten against them in the top flight (W4 D2).
TEAM NEWS
Barcelona
Massive boost for Xavi! Ousmane Dembele and Andreas Christensen have returned! Only Sergi Roberto remains as the first team player on the treatment table with a hamstring issue. For the first time in a while, Xavi has a fuily fit squad.
Christensen is likely to start right away, alongside Koundé, Araujo and Balde in defense, shielding Marc Andre TerStegen. Sergio Busquets returns from suspension and will slot right into the Midfield alongside Pedri and Frenkie. Gavi could play the false winger, as he's done many times, while Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha round up the attack. Dembele is expected to contribute at some point.
REAL BETIS
Manuel Pellegrini has 4 key players out: Nabil Fekir, Youssouf Sabaly, Juanmi and Victor Ruiz. That doesn't take much away from the quality he has left at his disposal.
Rui Silva will be between the sticks. Luiz Felipe and German Pezzella will form the central defensive partnership, with Aitor Ruibal and Juan Miranda being the two full-backs. Guido Rodriguez and William Carvalho will be the doublt pivot. Sergio Canales will play centrally and be flanked by Luiz Enrique and Ayoze Perez, with Borja Iglesias looking to head the attack instead of Willian Jose.
Where and when are Barcelona vs Real Betis playing?
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Stadium: Camp Nou
Date: Saturday 29 April
Kick-off Time: 20:00 BST / 15:00 ET / 12:00 PT
Referee: Carlos del Cerro Grande
VAR: Santiago Jaime Latre
Real Betis will not be taken for granted, mainly due to the fact that Barcelona lost their last game and won't want to disappoint their fans on home turf. A convincing performance will come in handy as they look to keep the gap at the top to at least 11 points.
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