Preview: Real Betis vs. Osasuna - prediction, team news, lineups

Manuel Pellegrini's side are currently ninth in the table, picking up 14 points from their opening 10 matches of the season, while Osasuna sit 10th, having picked up 13 points from their first 10 games.

Match preview

Real Betis made a disappointing start to the 2023-24 campaign, with their lowest point coming between August 27 and September 21, when they lost three of their four games in all competitions, including their Europa League opener to Rangers in Scotland.

Pellegrini's team are unbeaten since the defeat in Glasgow, though, winning three and drawing four of their seven games in all competitions since, and the team are very much back on track in the Europa League, winning their last two to move to the top of Group C ahead of Sparta Prague.

Real Betis were in European action on Thursday, recording a 1-0 victory away to Aris Limassol, but they have been the draw specialists in La Liga of late, sharing the points in four of their last five matches.

The Green and Whites drew 1-1 with both Cadiz and Granada before beating Valencia 3-0 at the start of October, but their last two domestic games have brought 1-1 draws with Alaves and Getafe.

A record of three wins, five draws and two defeats from 10 matches has seen Real Betis collect 14 points to sit ninth in the table, three points behind sixth-placed Athletic Bilbao heading into the next set of fixtures.

Osasuna, meanwhile, were also disappointing in the early weeks of the season, and they missed the chance to qualify for the group stage of the Europa Conference League due to their loss to Club Brugge.

Jagoba Arrasate's side found it difficult to overcome the European disappointment, losing three of their four league games that followed, but there has been improvement in October, with the team managing to collect six points from matches with Alaves, Real Madrid and Granada.

Indeed, Osasuna were 2-0 winners over Alaves and Granada, with the victories coming either side of a 4-0 loss to division leaders Real Madrid at Bernabeu.

Los Rojillos sit 10th in the table, which is hardly disastrous at this stage, and they should be looking up the division rather than down at this stage, with the visitors bidding to take advantage of the fact that Real Betis were in European action on Thursday night.

Osasuna have actually lost six of their last seven La Liga games with Real Betis, but they recoded a 3-2 victory when the two teams last locked horns in Pamplona towards the end of last season.

Real Betis La Liga form:

L

D

D

W

D

D

Real Betis form (all competitions):

D

W

W

D

D

W

Osasuna La Liga form:

L

D

L

W

L

W

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Team News

Real Betis have a relatively long injury list at this moment in time, with Chadi Riad, Sergi Altimira, Juan Cruz, Marc Bartra, Youssouf Sabaly and Nabil Fekir on the sidelines.

Marc Roca played as a centre-back in the Europa League on Thursday and that might again be the case this weekend due to the team's problems in the middle of their defence.

Head coach Pellegrini will make changes to the side that started against Aris Limassol, with Assane Diao, Isco, Rodri, Claudio Bravo and Hector Bellerin among those expected to be brought back into the XI.

Osasuna, meanwhile, are missing Juan Cruz, Jose Manuel Arnaiz and Unai Garcia for Sunday's affair.

Head coach Arrasate is unlikely to find a reason to change a winning side, meaning that it could be the same XI that took to the field for the first whistle against Granada last time out.

Ante Budimir scored twice as the centre-forward, and he is expected to be joined by Ezequiel Avila and Moi Gomez in the forward areas, with Aimar Oroz set to again feature in a deeper position for Los Rojillos.

Real Betis possible starting lineup:

Bravo; Bellerin, Pezzella, Roca, Abner; Rodriguez, Carvalho; Diao, Isco, Rodri; Perez

Osasuna possible starting lineup:

Herrera; Areso, Catena, D Garcia, Pena; Moncayola, Torro, Oroz; Avila, Budimir, M Gomez

We say: Real Betis 1-1 Osasuna

Real Betis have played out 1-1 draws in four of their last five league matches, and we are predicting the same scoreline in this game. Osasuna appear to have turned a corner this month, and Real Betis will not have had much preparation time for the contest, so we are expecting the points to be shared here.

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