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Real Betis, aiming for a European spot, will refocus on La Liga as they face Alaves at Estadio Benito Villamarin on Sunday evening.
Coming off a 1-0 loss to Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa Conference League playoff first leg, Real Betis faces an uphill battle to advance in the competition. Meanwhile, Alaves managed a 1-1 draw against Villarreal in their recent league fixture.
Dinamo Zagreb secured a 1-0 victory over Real Betis with Bruno Petkovic's 75th-minute penalty in the Europa Conference League clash. Despite this setback, Real Betis has shown strong league form, earning seven points from their last three matches and currently holding the sixth position in the table, one point ahead of seventh-placed Real Sociedad.
While Real Betis trails fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao by eight points, their chances of finishing higher than sixth seem slim. They have struggled to secure wins consistently this season, managing maximum points in only nine out of 24 league games.
Scoring only 28 goals in 24 league games, Real Betis has the lowest scoring record among the top six teams. Additionally, they have been frequent participants in draws, sharing points in 11 league matches alongside Mallorca and Cadiz in the 2023-24 season.
Despite their recent success against Alaves, winning four of their last five league encounters, the reverse fixture in October ended in a 1-1 draw.
Meanwhile, Alaves have struggled against Real Betis in recent times, winning just one of their last 11 league encounters. Their away form has also been lackluster, with only two victories on the road this season.
On the other hand, Real Betis has been formidable at home, losing only once in the league this season. This highlights the daunting task facing the visiting side. However, Alaves will likely come into this weekend's match fresher than their opponents.
Alaves' last outing was a 1-1 draw against Villarreal in La Liga, leaving them in 12th place in the table with 27 points. After securing promotion through the Segunda Division playoffs last season, their primary focus has been on establishing themselves in Spain's top flight once again.
Under Luis Garcia's management, Alaves currently sits comfortably 10 points clear of the relegation zone and are just two points behind Osasuna in 11th place. Their performance in the 2023-24 season has exceeded expectations, given their objective of consolidation at this level.
Real Betis will face significant squad challenges as they prepare to play on Sunday, with five key players—Abner Vinicius, Isco, Ayoze Perez, Guido Rodriguez, and Marc Bartra—all sidelined due to injuries. Additionally, there's uncertainty surrounding Youssouf Sabaly's availability, as he remains a major doubt.
In response to these absences, head coach Pellegrini is anticipated to shake up the lineup from Thursday's match, with Marc Roca, Hector Bellerin, and Sokratis Papastathopoulos poised to return to the starting eleven. Pablo Fornals, who found the net against Cadiz in the league last week, is set to make a comeback, and Willian Jose is expected to start once more as the center-forward.
On the Alaves side, Nahuel Tenaglia, Aleksandar Sedlar, and Javi Lopez will be unavailable due to injuries. Additionally, Rafa Marin, who was substituted in the 14th minute during the 1-1 draw with Villarreal, is also likely to miss out, paving the way for Ruben Duarte to join the defensive lineup. While Carlos Vicente is expected to fill in for Lopez, there are unlikely to be further alterations, with Samu Omorodion set to lead the attacking line for the Basque team.
