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Club football returns to the fold with an Andalusian derby fixture this week as Sevilla face with local rivals Real Betis in a potentially fierce encounter at the Akron Stadium in Guadalajara on Wednesday.
Sevilla vs Real Betis Preview
Sevilla finished in 12th place in the La Liga standings and have largely failed to meet expectations over the past year. Jose Luis Mendilibar's charges edged Crystal Palace to a victory on penalties in their previous game and will look to take it up a notch this week.
Real Betis, on the other hand, secured a sixth-place finish in the league table and have been fairly impressive in recent months. The Andalusian side was held to a disappointing 1-1 draw by Burnley last week and has a point to prove in this fixture.
Sevilla vs Real Betis Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- Sevilla have a good historical record in the Derbi Sevillano and have won 65 out of the 139 matches played between the two teams, as opposed to Real Betis' 40 victories.
- Sevilla endured a poor end to their La Liga campaign last season and were winless in their last four matches, losing two of these games.
- Sevilla are unbeaten in their last nine matches against Real Betis in La Liga and have ensured that Manuel Pellegrini has failed to achieve a single victory in the derby during his tenure.
- The last two matches played between the two teams in all competitions have ended in draws, with only two goals scored across these two games.
- Borja Iglesias was Real Betis' most prolific goalscorer by a considerable margin last season and scored 15 goals for his side in all competitions.
Sevilla vs Real Betis Prediction
Sevilla have shown improvement under Jose Luis Mendilibar's tutelage and are in good form at the moment. Ivan Rakitic scored an impressive goal against Crystal Palace last week and will look to replicate his feat this week.
Real Betis have been in impressive form in recent weeks but have struggled against their local rivals. Sevilla have an excellent record in the Andalusian derby and hold a slight upper hand going into this one.
Prediction: Sevilla 2-1 Real Betis
Sevilla vs Real Betis Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Sevilla
Tip 2: Game to have over 2.5 goals - Yes
Tip 3: Sevilla to score first - Yes
Tip 4: Borja Iglesias to score - Yes
