Barcelona face Real Betis at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium this Saturday. It’s a 21:00 kick off local time as both sides play their fifth fixtures of La Liga 2023/24. Three points for the hosts would send them to the top of the table for 24 hours at least.
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Barcelona vs Real Betis H2H Record
There have been 126 meetings previously between Barcelona and Real Betis in all competitions.
- Barcelona Wins: 76
- Draws: 23
- Real Betis Wins: 27
This has historically been one of the most entertaining fixtures in Spain with goals almost guaranteed. 10 of the last 11 league meetings have produced 3 or more goals and it hasn’t been all one way traffic with Betis winning on two of their last five league visits to FC Barcelona.
That includes a 4-3 classic in 2018 when recent Inter Miami signing Leo Messi netted a brace for the Catalans but couldn’t prevent the visitors claiming a famous win.
Last time out…
The most recent clash was much more comfortable for Barcelona. They cruised to a 4-0 victory over Betis in one of their final home games at Camp Nou. The visitors faced an uphill struggle after Edgar Gonzalez’s early red card and the Catalans eased home with Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha among the scorers.
That was a significant win as it all but ended any hope of any team catching Barca in the title race. They got their hands on the trophy a fortnight later with a 4-2 derby win at Espanyol.
Barcelona vs Real Betis H2H: Potential MVP
This could be another opportunity for Barca wonderkid Lamine Yamal to showcase his talents. He was outstanding in the recent 4-3 win at Villarreal and kept his place last time out, despite the availability of new signing Joao Felix and Brazilian winger Raphinha.
Those displays helped Lamine Yamal earn a first international call-up and he duly became Spain’s youngest ever player and goalscorer in the 7-1 demolition of Georgia, an incredible achievement for a player who only turned 16 in July.
✅ Youngest Spain player ever
✅ Youngest Spain goalscorer ever
✅ Youngest Spain starter ever16-year-old Lamine Yamal starts vs. Cyprus and sets another record ✨ pic.twitter.com/vVZB6ikijz
— B/R Football (@brfootball) September 12, 2023
He then became La Roja’s youngest ever starter against Cyprus on Tuesday as the hype surrounding the exciting winger continues to grow.
Xavi will have something of a decision to make here and indeed in the coming weeks which will see Barcelona play a lot of matches in domestic and European competition. He’ll be conscious of his duty to manage the workload of a player who is essentially still a child, but Lamine Yamal has already proven how much of an asset he can be to this Barcelona side.
Barcelona: Players in focus
A full debut for Joao Cancelo
Xavi pushed hard for the signing of Joao Cancelo from Manchester City and the Portuguese full back is in line for a first Barca start here.
Felix on the bench?
Joao Felix may have to wait a bit longer to make his full debut but is likely to feature again off the bench against a side he has netted 3 career goals against.
Lewandowski to fire against Betis again
Robert Lewandowski scored in both of Barcelona’s matches against Betis last season in his first year in La Liga.
Real Betis: Players in focus
Isco looking sharp
Many doubted Isco’s ability to reach his old levels after several barren years, but he has impressed since joining Betis. However the former Real Madrid man has failed to score or assist in 15 La Liga matches against Barca.
Willian Jose on the goal trail
Willian Jose was strongly linked with a move away from the Benito Villamarin this summer, but he’s scored 3 times already this term including a stunning free-kick last time out against Rayo.
Former Barca man Bartra set for first start
Marc Bartra is a new signing for Real Betis after just one season in Turkey and he’s likely to make his second debut for the club after Luiz Felipe’s move to Saudi Arabia finally went through over the international break.
Final Prediction
Barcelona were too strong for Betis last season but it’s early days in their title defence and they are still getting used to the relatively uninspiring surroundings of the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium. This could be closer than their 4-0 rout in April, but the home team may still have the edge over 90 minutes.
We’re saying 2-1 to Barcelona with Robert Lewandowski to score the first goal.
