The Round of 16 match in the Spanish Cup between Barcelona and Betis will take place on January 15 at the Olympic Stadium named after Lluis Companys. Barcelona vs. Betis: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Referee: Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez (Spain)
Matches – 12 (La Liga and Spanish Cup, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 64;
Average yellow cards per match – 5.3;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 27;
Penalties – 50%.
Predicted lineups for Barcelona vs. Betis
Barcelona (4-2-3-1): Wojciech Szczesny – Ronald Araujo, Jules Kounde, Inigo Martinez, Gerard Martin – Frenkie de Jong, Eric Garcia – Pedri, Pablo Torre, Fermin Lopez – Robert Lewandowski.
Betis (4-2-3-1): Fran Vieites – Youssouf Sabaly, Nathan, Diego Llorente, Ricardo Rodriguez – Sergi Altimira, Joao Cardoso – Giovani Lo Celso, Abde Ezzalzouli, Isco – Vitor Hugo Roque.
The starting lineup for each team in their previous match in this tournament is listed.
Barcelona
The Catalan club is the most decorated in the Spanish Cup with 31 trophies. The team last won this tournament four years ago, when they thrashed Athletic 4-0 in the final. Last season, Barcelona was stopped by the same Athletic at the quarter-final stage (2:2, extra time 0:2). In the current campaign, Hans Flick's side started in the previous round, where they comfortably defeated Barbastro away (4:0).
- In their last 13 Spanish Cup matches, the Catalans have lost only once in regular time (8 wins and 4 draws).
- At least three goals have been scored in the last five Barcelona matches in this tournament.
- The team has scored two or more goals in regular time in 10 of their last 13 Spanish Cup matches.
Betis
The Seville team has already passed three rounds of the tournament. At the same time, they have not faced any serious opponents on their way to the upcoming match: the team easily dealt with Jevora (6:1), Sant Andreu (3:1), and Huesca (1:0). Last season, the club was stopped in the Round of 32 by Alaves (0:1), and they last played at this stage two years ago but were weaker than Osasuna. Betis won the Spanish Cup in the 2021/22 season, defeating Valencia in the final.
- The Seville team has not lost in regular time in 23 of their last 24 Spanish Cup matches (16 wins and 7 draws).
- Both teams scored in 9 of Betis's last 11 matches in this tournament.
- The number "1" appeared in the scoreline at the end of regular time in 11 of the club's previous Spanish Cup matches.
Barcelona vs. Betis: Match Prediction
The Catalans usually do not face problems when playing against the Seville team. In the last 26 head-to-head encounters in La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup, Barcelona has won 20 times, drawn 4, and lost only twice. Moreover, the hosts of the upcoming match tend to score a lot against this opponent. In 13 of their last 15 head-to-head encounters in all competitions, Barcelona has scored three or more goals.
I anticipate that Hans Flick's side will once again triumph over Betis, showcasing high efficiency in front of goal. The Seville team consistently concedes in the league and has not kept a clean sheet in their last 9 away La Liga matches. It is also worth noting that Betis has conceded in 7 of their last 8 away Spanish Cup matches, even against lower league opponents. Therefore, I favor the prediction – Barcelona individual total over 2.5 goals.
