MATCH PREVIEW
Barcelona will be looking to continue its momentum and faces 10th-placed Real Betis, which is winless in its last four league matches.
The Catalan outfit tops the La Liga standings with 37 points from 16 matches and snapped a three-game winless run in the league with the victory over Mallorca.
“Betis are a very good team, with very experienced players. They are always capable of pressing high up the pitch, that’s their style and we have to be careful,” Barcelona manager Hansi Flick said.
“They know how to play and we have to be focused… Manuel (Pellegrini) is a very experienced coach, his teams always play very good football.
“His style is very good, his teams like to have the ball. It’s not easy for opponents to play against him.”
Saturday’s match will also reunite Barcelona with 19-year-old forward Vitor Roque, who has scored five goals in all competitions since leaving the club on loan to join Betis in August.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
- Total matches: 139
- Real Betis: 30
- Barcelona: 85
- Draws: 24
Flick said he was not worried about the prospect of facing a motivated Roque, adding: “I believe in my players. All the rivals have good players, forwards, defenders.
ALSO READ: Barca boss Flick not planning on resting Raphinha against Betis, says team needs him
“You have to be careful and defend as well as possible, as a unit. Roque is doing very well. When I arrived, he wasn’t in the best situation.
“I spoke to him and I felt that he was not happy, and I think it was the best decision for him to start in another team. For him it’s good that he’s doing better, feeling better. It’s also good from a human point of view.”
(with inputs from Reuters)
FORM GUIDE
- Real Betis – W L L L D
- Barcelona – W L W D L
Predicted line-ups:
Real Betis (4-2-3-1): Silva; Sabaly, Llorente, Bartra, Perraud; Altimira, Guirao; Fornals, Lo Celso, Ez Abde; Roque
Barcelona (4-2-3-1): Peña; Kounde, Cubarsí, Iñigo, Balde; Casadó, Gavi; Yamal, Olmo, Raphinha; Lewandowski
When and where will Real Betis vs Barcelona be played?
The La Liga match between Real Betis and Barcelona will be played at the Estadio Benito Villamarín in Seville, Spain. The match is scheduled to kick off at 4:15 pm local time (8:45 pm IST).
How to watch Real Betis vs Barcelona in La Liga?
The La Liga match, Real Betis vs Barcelona, will not be broadcast in India. However, the game can be live streamed on GXR World. Moreover, the match can also be followed on the Sportstar website.
Content Source: sportstar.thehindu.com