Real Betis finished fifth in Spain’s top division last season to secure a place in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League.
Manuel Pellegrini’s side will be looking to improve on that this year, but they face a tricky opening fixture as Real Sociedad visit the Estadio de La Cartuja on Friday.
Sociedad ended up in mid-table but they managed to win the Copa del Rey and they will feel capable of getting a positive result at Real Betis.
Real Betis v Real Sociedad Tips Summary
Best Bet - Real Betis to win @ 11/10
Alternative Bet - Pablo Fornals to score anytime @ 7/2
Bet Builder - Pablo Fornals 1+ shots on target, Mikel Oyarzabal 2+ shots on target, Antony 3+ shots @ 7/1
Real Betis v Real Sociedad Prediction
Best Bet: Real Betis to win @ 11/10
Real Sociedad enjoyed a strong season last year but their away form in general was disappointing. La Real only managed three road wins in La Liga, taking just 17 points from 19 games, and with home advantage Real Betis may be a bit too strong for the visitors.
Betis’ success last season was largely down to their excellent home form as they won 10 of their 19 La Liga home games, losing just three.
The Heliopolitanos had the better of the head-to-head clashes with Real Sociedad as they claimed four points from the two league meetings and they’ve won their last two home games against La Real by an aggregate score of 6-1.
Betis have largely kept their squad intact and have made a few additions that should improve their team.
The hosts ended last season strongly with four wins and just one defeat in their final seven games, if they can pick up where they left off they should be able to claim three points on Friday.
Alternative Bet: Pablo Fornals to score anytime @ 7/2
Real Betis were a team who shared the goals around last season and midfielder Pablo Fornals made a key contribution with nine.
Fornals scored in his side’s final two home games of the campaign and has put in some strong performances during pre-season, including a goal and two assists in a win over Arsenal and a strike in a draw with Bournemouth.
Last season was Fornals’ most productive campaign since he swapped West Ham for Real Betis and he can hit the ground running this term with a goal against Real Sociedad.
Real Betis v Real Sociedad Bet Builder Tip
Pablo Fornals 1+ shots on target
Mikel Oyarzabal 2+ shots on target
Antony 3+ shots
Pays 7/1
As a single bet a Fornals goal looks a good option as a bit of an outside pick but for the purposes of this bet builder a shot on target is the preferred angle.
Fornals had a shooting accuracy rate of 40% last season, so he should be able to test the keeper.
Real Betis team-mate Antony tends to get plenty of chances as he averaged 2.8 shots per game in La Liga and 3.0 per game in the UEFA Europa League. Three or more attempts in total for the former Manchester United man seems a realistic target.
For Real Sociedad, Spain star Mikel Oyarzabal can at least force a couple of saves. The World Cup winning forward is the focal point of the Sociedad attack and he scored 15 goals in La Liga last season. His shooting accuracy stood at just over 50% for La Roja at the World Cup this summer so he is capable of at least recording two shots on goal.
Learn more about how Bet Builders work in our Bet Builder guide.
Key Match Stats
Real Betis finished 14 points above Real Sociedad last season
Real Sociedad lost eight of their 19 away La Liga games last term
Real Betis are unbeaten in the last three head-to-head meetings (W2, D1)
Real Sociedad have just one win in their last six visits to this venue, losing six
Pablo Fornals scored nine goals in La Liga last season
Pablo Fornals scored in the corresponding league meeting last season
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
