Almeria vs Real Betis
La Liga
Sunday
3rd December 2023
Juegos del Mediterraneo
The most comprehensive preview, detailed analysis and reliable predictions of the La Liga fixture between Almeria and Real Betis.
Almeria vs Real Betis: Preview
Almeria form analysis
Almería have struggled to build momentum recently, with three defeats, one draw and just a solitary win from their last five games. They started brightly on October 22nd, twice taking the lead away at Girona through striker Léo Baptistão before succumbing to a 5-2 loss. Another away defeat followed a week later, losing out 2-1 late on against relegation rivals Las Palmas. Almería stopped the rot briefly by holding Alavés to a creditable 1-0 defeat on November 5th.
However, a tough 3-1 home loss to high-flying Real Sociedad followed – Sergio Arribas’ equaliser counting for nothing after late goals from Carlos Fernández and Martin Zubimendi. This inconsistent form continued on November 25th as Almería lost 2-1 away at struggling Getafe, despite Largie Ramazani’s early opener. Overall defensive issues have plagued Almería, conceding at least twice in four of these five games. Addressing these problems is vital if they are to sustain their top flight status.
Real Betis form analysis
Real Betis have found form in recent weeks under Manuel Pellegrini after an inconsistent opening two months. They started slowly on October 21st however, throwing away Marc Roca’s opener to draw 1-1 at home against Getafe. This sparked an uptick though as Betis then beat fellow European hopefuls Osasuna 2-1, with Isco netting a dramatic late winner. Another hard fought victory followed on November 4th, with strikes from Willian José and Ayoze Perez helping Betis beat Mallorca 2-0 away.
Betis then left it late to claim a battling point on November 12th in a tense Seville derby draw with rivals Sevilla, thanks to Ayoze Perez’s equaliser cancelling out Ivan Rakitic’s opener. Most recently on November 27th, Betis returned to winning ways by narrowly beating Las Palmas 1-0 at home, Willian José again on target. Finding this gritty resilience has helped Betis recover well from a slow start. With the likes of Sergio Canales and Nabil Fekir also impressing, a top four push could still be on.
