Real Betis vs Espanyol prediction 29.09.2024 | La Liga

• Competition: La Liga
• Date: Sunday, 29th September, 2024
• Kickoff: 17:30 UK / 18:30 CEST
• Venue: Estadio Benito Villamarín (Sevilla)

In the last four years, Real Betis have been between fifth and seventh place in La Liga, constantly securing Europe. Last year, they finished seventh and ensured "only" Conference League, where they are the second-favorite for the title. In La Liga, most pundits predict a similar season for Betis, comparable to their recent campaigns. However, their start this season has been underwhelming, as they currently sit 11th with nine points from seven matches, just two points shy of the European spots. Despite this mediocre start, Pellegrini's squad has shown promise, and we believe they will soon move up on the league's table.

Espanyol have bounced between La Liga and La Liga 2 over the past four seasons, spending two years in each division. Last year, they managed to return to the Spanish top-flight division but had to do it through the Playoffs. This season, the only goal for the Catalan team is to somehow secure survival. For now, they are on the right track as they are two points away from the danger zone. Still, the season has only begun, and we believe their battle for survival will last until the very end of the season.

Real Betis vs Espanyol pick: Over 2.5 goals

Even though Real Betis have had mixed results this year, and despite scoring just seven goals, they are playing well and creating enough goal-scoring chances. Right now, they have the third-best xG (1.54), only behind Barcelona and Real Madrid, and we believe they are more than capable of scoring a couple (or more) goals at home against teams that are among the weakest in the league.

On the other hand, Real Betis are struggling defensively and have kept a clean sheet just once in the last five games while facing not-so-great opponents like Las Palmas, Mallorca, and Getafe. So, we are not really confident in their defense against anyone at this moment.

Meanwhile, Espanyol have played almost exclusively high-scoring games recently, as they were over 2.5 goals in the last four games, with both teams scoring every time. During that four-game stretch, Espanyol scored seven goals - 1.75 per game, and we believe they can score at least once against Betis.

In the previous h2h game at Estadio Benito Villamarín, Real Betis won 3:1. Additionally, three of the last four h2h games finished with three or more goals. Considering the previous h2h games and all the above, an over 2.5 goals bet seems like the best option for this La Liga tie.