Soccer Spain LaLiga Prediction

Betis vs Valencia - Match Preview

⚽ 4 June 2023 - 19:00 GMT +0

Unable to move up or down in the table on the final day, the La Liga (LL) season is effectively over for Real Betis, who will likely be content with their sixth-place finish. UEFA Europa League football now awaits for the third successive season, with Betis getting the chance to better their Round of 16 exits of this season and the campaign prior.

Piecing together a solid five-match run (W3, D1, L1) in the dying stages of the season helped them secure their spot in Europe, but had Betis’ home form been better, they could have to dine out with Europe’s elite next season. Just four wins from their last 13 LL home games (D4, L5) marks a pretty unremarkable run, and with Los Verdiblancos failing to score in four of the seven games that bookend that run, their goal-shy nature has perhaps cost them dearly.

In incredible circumstances, Valencia find themselves one of six teams in danger of falling through the relegation trapdoor on the final day. Valencia hold the aces with a two-point buffer to the drop zone and knows a draw would be enough to keep them in the division, but they’ll be keen to bow out with a win and end on a high in an otherwise desperately low campaign.

Coming into the final day in 15th, Valencia is in real danger of finishing lower than 13th in LL for the first time since 1985/86, a real humbling for a side who are accustomed to top-half finishes. It’s perhaps no surprise to see Los Che languishing in the bottom half when you consider their dismal away form though, with ten of their last 12 travelling LL games ending in defeat (W2), seven of which came ‘to nil’.

📋 Players to watch: Having scored first-half goals in Betis’ last two home league wins, boss Manuel Pellegrini will be keen to see Ayoze Pérez on the scoresheet again. For the opposition, Justin Kluivert has netted in two of Valencia’s three away league wins this term and four of his last five LL goals have arrived after half-time, including a game-closing goal in the reverse fixture.

⚡ Hot stat: Valencia’s LL away games have averaged a league-low 0.78 first-half goals.