Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the La Liga match.
The bright debut of Antony Santos for Real Betis against Athletic Bilbao (2:2) already confirmed that the club made a smart move in bringing in the Brazilian on loan. The former Manchester United winger is expected to start again against Celta Vigo, and his link-up play with Francisco Suárez and Cédric Bakambu should create plenty of attacking opportunities.
Celta Vigo
Celta's recent downturn in form led the club to make key personnel changes. After suffering four defeats in their last five matches, the team parted ways with Jonathan Bamba and Anastasios Douvikas, both of whom failed to complement Iago Aspas effectively in attack. Their most recent loss, a 1:2 defeat away to Valencia, once again highlighted their defensive frailties. They have conceded 35 goals this season, with 29.14 xGA, showing clear struggles in the backline.
Real Betis
Meanwhile, Real Betis have taken steps to improve their finishing, as evidenced by their 1:0 win over Real Mallorca and their high-scoring draw with Athletic Bilbao. Across those two matches, they generated a total of 1.91 xG, showing more efficiency in front of goal. With the Europa Conference League knockout stages approaching, Real Betis are eager to push into the European qualification spots in La Liga, with just three points separating them from the top six. The team also took a gamble in signing Cucho Hernández, a 25-year-old Colombian forward who had an underwhelming first spell in Spain but shone in MLS last season with 19+14 in 29 matches.
Celta Vigo vs Real Betis Prediction
Since the end of last season, Celta Vigo have conceded four goals to Real Betis in their two most recent meetings (1:2 and 2:2). With the Seville club arriving in much better form, they are well-positioned to take at least a point from this match.
