On Sunday, October 5, Espanyol will host Betis in Matchday 8 of the Spanish league. Here’s a look at what to expect from both teams in terms of scoring.
Espanyol
Espanyol comes into this game struggling, having not won in their last three matches. They lost 0-2 to Real Madrid and drew twice — 2-2 against Valencia at home and 0-0 against Girona away. So far this season, they have only lost once in seven matches and are currently seventh in the table with 12 points, seven behind leaders Barcelona.
At home, Espanyol has been strong, remaining unbeaten with three wins and one draw this season. However, their record against Betis at home isn’t as good, with just one win in the last six encounters, plus two draws and three losses.
Betis
Betis enters the match in good form, recently winning their first Europa League group stage game by beating Bulgarian team Ludogorets 2-0. This victory makes it five matches unbeaten across all competitions. In La Liga, they are performing well, having beaten Osasuna 2-0 in their last match. With three wins and three draws in their seven matches, Betis also has 12 points and sits sixth, ahead of Espanyol on goal difference.
They have been solid away from home too, with three draws and one win this season. In head-to-head matches against Espanyol, Betis has the upper hand, winning the last three encounters. Overall, Espanyol has only won once in their last 13 meetings.
Probable lineups
- Espanyol: Dmitrovic, El Hilali, Riedl, Calero, Romero, Lozano, Esposito, Dolan, Milla, Puado, Roberto Fernandez.
- Betis: Pau Lopez, Rodriguez, Natan, Gomez, Angel Ortiz, Lo Celso, Amrabat, Fornals, Hernandez, Ez Abde, Antoni.
Key facts and head-to-head
- Espanyol has won 5 of their last 6 home games.
- Espanyol is unbeaten in 14 of their last 15 matches.
- Betis has won 3 of their last 4 matches.
- Betis has scored first in each of their last 4 matches.
- Betis has won 4 of the last 5 meetings against Espanyol.
Match prediction
Espanyol started the season well and has a strong home record, while Betis is also performing well in both leagues and Europe. Despite Betis’s advantage in past meetings, Espanyol can still pose a challenge at home. Expect a competitive match, with both teams likely to score. My bet is on both teams to score at odds of 1.64.