The Spanish La Liga action continues on matchday 12 as struggling Elche welcome high-flying Real Betis to the Estadio Martínez Valero on Sunday. This will be the 58th meeting between the teams, with their rivalry dating back to 1935.
Elche are 17th in the La Liga standings, one place above the relegation zone, with 10 points from 11 matches.
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All is not lost for Los Franjiverdes, however, as ninth-placed Villarreal are only two points above them at this stage in a congested table that features 10 teams separated by only two points.
That means that a few positive results could see Elche surge up the standings, but their form needs to improve.
In their most recent La Liga encounter, Martin Anselmi’s side lost 1-0 at home against Valencia, with Umar Sadiq’s 69th-minute strike settling the contest at the Estadio Martínez Valero.
Meanwhile, Real Betis are enjoying an excellent season in La Liga, sitting fourth on 23 points behind big guns Real Madrid (27), Atletico Madrid (28), and leaders Barcelona (30).
Seven wins, two draws, and two losses have allowed Betis to keep pace with those clubs that usually fight for the title, with their most recent top-flight result being a 2-1 home victory over Malaga.
Marc Bartra and Pablo Fornals scored first-half goals at the Estadio de la Cartuja last Saturday, ensuring that Adrián Niño’s goal in the second half would not be enough for Malaga to make a comeback.
Manuel Pellegrini’s side are also doing well in the UEFA Champions League, where Betis have won three and lost one of their four league-phase matches to sit 11th in the standings.
A 2-1 away loss to German club Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday was Real Betis’ first loss of the campaign.
Elche vs Real Betis head-to-head stats and key numbers
- Real Betis have the edge over Elche in terms of their head-to-head record, with 24 wins for Betis and 16 for Elche.
- Elche and Real Betis have shared the spoils on 17 previous occasions.
- Last season in La Liga, Elche’s home game ended in a 1-1 draw, while Real Betis won their home match 2-1.
- Former professional striker Jorge Molina played for both Elche and Real Betis during his career, and he is the all-time top scorer in this fixture with six goals.
Elche vs Real Betis prediction
Elche are expected to remain disciplined defensively, as they look to absorb early pressure before returning fire through swift counterattacks. Real Betis are likely to dictate the tempo and control possession, relying on direct transitions and fluid passing thanks to the technical abilities of players like Abde Ezzalzouli and Giovani Lo Celso.
Many bookmakers favor a draw in this encounter, but we are going for a narrow away victory for Real Betis based on their excellent form and historical advantage in this fixture.
Prediction: Elche 0-1 Real Betis
Elche vs Real Betis betting tips
Tip 1: Real Betis to win
Tip 2: Real Betis to score first
Tip 3: Under 2.5 goals
Edited by Peter Pedroncelli
