Atletico Madrid - Real Betis predictions and free betting tips [03/03/2024]

On Sunday, 3rd February, as part of the 27th round of the Spanish La Liga, Madrid's "Atletico" will host "Betis" on their home ground. Diego Simeone's team stands in fourth place in the league table, leading "Betis" by 10 points – therefore, in the event of a misstep, the "pepineros" will wave goodbye to any chances of finishing in the Champions League zone.

Atletico

Last week, "Atletico" engaged in a gruelling duel at San Mames in the return leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final against "Athletic Bilbao" and, just like in their own field, surrendered again (0:1 and 3:0). The "Colchoneros" also had an unsuccessful start in the 1/8 finals of the Champions League, suffering a 1:0 defeat in Milan from "Inter". In La Liga, meanwhile, the hosts are trailing 13 points behind the leader - Madrid's "Real". Last weekend, Diego Simeone's fourth-placed protegés failed to defeat struggling "Almeria" (2:2), which has yet to win a single match this season. Even earlier, there was a stumble against "Sevilla" (1:0) and a draw at Santiago Bernabeu against Los Blancos (1:1). However, the Madrid side boasts the best home record in the Spanish championship in this campaign, having amassed 37 points in 13 matches, with 12 victories.

Frenchman Antoine Griezmann, who has been suffering from an ankle injury (11 goals, 6 assists in the championship), is likely to miss this match, as will his compatriot Lemar (due back in March) and former "Chelsea" captain Cesar Azpilicueta (set to return to full training in April, according to club doctors). Central defender Jose Gimenez is also unavailable due to a muscle injury. The main attacking threat for "Atletico" comes from Spanish striker Alvaro Morata, who has netted 13 goals in La Liga; he will undoubtedly be assisted on the flanks by Angel Correa (7 goals, 2 assists in La Liga) and Memphis Depay (5 goals in the championship). Pablo Barrios and Rodrigo Riquelme, along with Koke and Llorente, are expected to appear in midfield.

Betis

"Betis" is unlikely to make it into the Champions League at the end of the season, but the reason for this is the injuries to their leaders and the departure of such experienced players as Canales and Juanmi during the summer transfer window. As of the start of the 27th round, "los verdiblancos" are in 6th place in the league table, leading the trailing "Real Sociedad" by just two points. Last weekend, the guests played their fifth consecutive unbeaten match in the championship, overcoming "Athletic Bilbao" (3:1); earlier there were victories over "Cadis" (0:2) and "Mallorca" (0:1). In general, "Betis" has lost only four out of 26 duels in La Liga, but too many draws (12) prevent the green-and-whites from claiming something substantial. Last week, Manuel Pellegrini's charges were knocked out of the 1/16 finals of the Conference League by Zagreb's "Dinamo" (aggregate defeat 1:2).

Betis are facing squad problems: Cedric Bakambu (who arrived this winter), Abner (ankle injury), Bartra (and midfielder Isco (6 goals, 3 assists) are all out due to injury. Rubial, Ayoze Perez (4 goals in La Liga), and Frenchman Nabil Fekir are still unable to reach optimal condition. Marc Roca, Miranda and Sokratis have returned to full training following suspension and may take part in the upcoming match. Chimi Avila, who scored only one goal in the first half of the season with "Osasuna", needed only three rounds to make an impact in the Andalusians' jersey (he scored against Athletic last weekend). Pablo Fornals, who arrived from "West Ham" in the winter, will be responsible for creativity on the attacking flank, whilst Willian Jose (7 goals and 3 assists) will be in the centre of attack.

Head-to-Head

In the first round of the season, the Madrid side beat "Betis" 0:1, and the "pepineros" themselves have been unable to claim a victory over Simeone's team in the last nine confrontations.

Match prediction Atletico - Betis

It's clear that Atletico has slightly declined over the past weeks and the team is in urgent need of rehabilitation in front of the home crowd. While Betis hasn't lost in the last five rounds of the championship, they are experiencing significant personnel problems – and the knockout from the Conference League has undoubtedly affected the emotional state of the players. I expect the favourite to claim a hard-fought victory by 1-2 goals.