Espanyol will welcome Real Betis onto their turf on Saturday in La Liga as the two sides take on each other. The hosts, who are 14th in the table, will be looking for their second straight win, while Betis will be looking for an opportunity to get into the top four positions.
Espanyol have 17 points from 17 matches, with three wins, eight draws, and six losses to their name. They are unbeaten in the last three games and will be looking to secure three points against Betis.
On the other hand, Real Betis will be looking to secure their ninth win of the season as they travel to Barcelona. They won their last match against Rayo Vallecano 2-1 and will be raring to go again.
Now we look at some stats that could predict the match’s outcome.
Season so far
The visual above shows both Espanyol’s and Real Betis’ percentile rank compared to other teams in La Liga. The hosts pose a higher threat in goals per game, crosses, and final third entries, while the visitors have better stats in passing accuracy, possession, high press success, and recoveries per game. Betis will be aware of Espanyol’s higher goals per game threat, while the hosts will be trying not to let the visitors press them and recover possession.
Counterattacking danger
The visual above shows the efficiency of counterattacks for different teams in La Liga. Real Betis pose a higher counterattack threat than the hosts, as they have a 19% efficiency for counterattacks. They launch an average of one counterattack per game, with 63% of them leading to shots, while Espanyol launches about 1.41 counterattacks per game, with 29.1% of them leading to shots. The hosts will have to be quick on their toes when Betis counterattacks; otherwise, they might end up conceding goals.
Defensive duels
The visual above shows the number of defensive duels won by different teams in La Liga. Espanyol is fifth on the list with 57% success, while Real Betis is much lower with 53% efficiency. The hosts average 71 defensive duels per game, while Betis averages 66 defensive duels per game. This defensive discipline will be important in the next match, especially to defend against the counterattacks.
Even though Real Betis is ranked higher than Espanyol in terms of high press success and recoveries per game, they make fewer recoveries in the attacking half than the hosts. The hosts recover the ball around ten times per game in the attacking half, while the visitors do it only around eight times.
Key Players
With ten goals from 17 matches, Joselu is their top scorer this season. He has scored seven goals from open play and converted all the penalties he has taken. He will play a key role in deciding the outcome of the match as he will be a key player.
The visual above shows Borja Iglesias’ xG map from this season. He too has converted all the penalties he has taken and will be waiting for an opportunity to strike. Betis will need their main man to play well in this match.
Betting Analysis
Looking at the 1×2 market, the odds for Espanyol are placed at 2.81, while they are placed at 2.74 for the visitors. Meanwhile, in the over/under lines market is expected to be around or below 2.5.
Team News
Espanyol will most likely go ahead with the same lineup from the last match as they don’t have any new suspensions or injury concerns.
Real Betis should also be looking to start the same lineup they used against Osasuna in the Copa Del Rey. Nebil Fekir might make a return to the starting lineup.
Espanyol will be looking to secure their second straight win as they set out against Betis. The visitors, on the other hand, will be looking to get into the top four with a win over the hosts.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
