Betis vs Espanyol – News and Probable Lineups

Espanyol’s quest for their first victory of 2026 will carry on this Saturday, as the Catalan side resumes their La Liga journey away from home against Real Betis.

The visitors currently hold the 11th position in the La Liga standings, trailing sixth-placed Celta Vigo by four points, while Real Betis sits in fifth place, three points clear of the team directly below them.

Match overview

Real Betis aims to achieve success in the Europa League this season, with Manuel Pellegrini’s squad securing a place in the quarter-finals after a 4-0 triumph over Panathinaikos in the second leg of their last-16 encounter on March 19.

The Seville team is set to face Braga in the quarter-finals, with the first leg taking place in Portugal next week. However, their immediate focus is on La Liga, and they went into the March international break after suffering a 2-1 loss to Athletic Bilbao.

Pellegrini’s side boasts a record of 11 wins, 11 draws, and seven defeats across their 29 league games this season, accumulating 44 points, leaving them 13 points behind fourth-placed Atletico Madrid and three points ahead of Celta Vigo in sixth.

Real Betis has secured 25 points from their 14 home league matches this season, only facing three defeats in front of their home fans.

Earlier in the season, El Glorioso achieved a 2-1 victory in the reverse fixture and is currently enjoying a four-game winning streak against Espanyol.

Since October 2017, Espanyol has managed to defeat Real Betis only once, with their last win against the Seville side away from home dating back to October 2016.

The Catalan squad was quite impressive in the first half of the 2025-26 season, but 2026 has proven to be disastrous, as they have yet to secure a single victory.

Espanyol’s last win came on December 22, when they beat Athletic Bilbao 2-1; since then, they have contested 12 matches in La Liga, with eight losses and four draws.

Unsurprisingly, this dip in form has caused them to fall out of contention for European spots, although Manolo Gonzalez’s side remains in the hunt for a top-six finish, currently in 11th place, four points behind sixth-placed Celta Vigo with nine games remaining.

The White and Blues went into the March international break following a 2-1 defeat to Getafe, while their most recent away fixture ended in another 2-1 loss, this time against Mallorca.

Real Betis La Liga form:

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Real Betis form (all competitions):

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Spanish La Liga form:

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Team News

Real Betis will miss Isco and Angel Ortiz due to injuries, while Giovani Lo Celso is uncertain for the Seville side this weekend.

Antony is the team’s top scorer this season with 12 goals across all competitions and is expected to start again down the right flank after previously impressing.

Cucho Hernandez has also enjoyed a productive scoring season, netting 11 times, and the 26-year-old will lead the attack, with Cedric Bakambu likely sitting on the bench.

As for Espanyol, Javi Puado is a long-term absentee for the Catalan team, while Fernando Calero will undergo a late fitness assessment to determine his availability.

The visitors will also be without Charles Pickel, who is suspended.

Kike Garcia stands as Espanyol’s leading goal scorer this season with eight goals, and the 36-year-old is anticipated to be favored over Roberto Fernandez in the final third.

Real Betis probable starting XI:

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

Espanyol probable starting XI:

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

While Espanyol’s winless streak will eventually conclude, we do not foresee that happening this weekend; Real Betis is a formidable team, making it challenging to predict anything but a victory for the Seville side.