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Sports Mole previews Thursday’s La Liga clash between Real Betis and Girona, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Real Betis will be aiming to return to winning ways in Spain’s top flight when they resume their campaign with a home fixture against Girona on Sunday afternoon.
Manuel Pellegrini‘s side sit fifth in the La Liga table, boasting 20 points from their first 12 matches of the campaign, while the visitors are 18th, claiming 10 points from their opening 12 games of 2025-26.
Match preview
Real Betis have a record of five wins, five draws and two defeats from their 12 La Liga matches this season, with a total of 20 points leaving them in fifth spot in the table, five points behind fifth-placed Atletico Madrid.
Pellegrini’s side were held to a 1-1 draw by Valencia in their last match before the international break, but they recorded a 3-0 victory over Mallorca in their last league game on home soil earlier this month.
The Seville outfit have won four and lost two of their six home league games this season, picking up 12 points in the process, and they will be taking on a Girona outfit that are yet to win on their travels in 2025-26, earning just two points from their five games away from their own stadium.
Real Betis have won 14 of their previous 20 games against Girona, suffering only three defeats in the process, including a 3-1 victory in the last meeting between the two sides back in April.
That said, it was 1-1 when the two teams locked horns in the corresponding game last term.
Girona, meanwhile, are bidding to record their first La Liga win against Real Betis away from home since March 2010, so there is plenty on the line for the visitors in this match.
There is no getting away from the fact that it has been a tough campaign for Michel’s side, who have picked up just 10 points from their 12 matches courtesy of a record of two wins, four draws and six defeats.
Girona are 18th in the table, and the Catalan outfit have struggled at the back this season, conceding 24 times in their 12 matches, which is the worst defensive record in the entire division.
The Catalan team finished 16th in La Liga last term, which was a huge drop-off considering that they were third in 2023-24, and the visitors could be facing a relegation battle in 2025-26.
Real Betis La Liga form:
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Real Betis form all competitions:
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Girona La Liga form:
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Girona form (all competitions):
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Team News
Real Betis will again be without the services of Pau Lopez and Isco through injury, but Junior Firpo should be declared fit after recovering from a hamstring issue.
Antony has been in excellent form for Real Betis this season following his arrival on a permanent basis from Manchester United, and the six-goal attacker will feature in the final third of the field.
There are also set to be starts for Giovani Lo Celso, Abde Ezzalzouli and Cucho Hernandez, while Pablo Fornals is again set to operate in a deeper midfield role for the Seville outfit.
As for Girona, Juan Carlos, Donny van de Beek, Portu and Vladyslav Krapyvtsov will miss the match through injury, while Alejandro Frances and David Lopez are major doubts.
Vladyslav Vanat has scored three times in 10 appearances this season, and the 23-year-old will feature in the final third of the field, while there should also be a start for Azzedine Ounahi.
Viktor Tsygankov has scored twice in seven appearances this term, and he is also set to feature from the first whistle, while the experienced Daley Blind will continue in the middle of the defence.
Real Betis possible starting lineup:
Valles; Bellerin, Natan, Bartra, Firpo; Amrabat, Fornals; Antony, Lo Celso, Ezzalzouli; Hernandez
Girona possible starting lineup:
Gazzaniga; Martinez, Reis, Blind, Moreno; Tsygankov, Ounahi, Witsel, Martin, Gil; Vanat
We say: Real Betis 2-0 Girona
Girona are capable of making this an uncomfortable match for Real Betis, but the home side have so much quality all over the pitch, and we are expecting the Seville team to secure all three points on Sunday.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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