The match of the 20th round of the La Liga between Real Betis and Villarreal will take place 17 january at the Olympic Stadium in Seville. Real Betis vs Villarreal: prediction, betting odds and statistics.
Real Betis
Real Betis's last league game ended in an away draw with Real Oviedo (1:1), who are 20th in the table. Thus the home team remained without a win after the first two Primera matches in 2026. Earlier the home team suffered a heavy defeat to Real Madrid (1:5). But overall since the start of the current La Liga season the squad has lost only 4 matches. Moreover, the home team loses strictly to clubs in the top eight. Note that the home team shares the title of the most draw-prone club in the competition, with 8 of its 19 matches ending in draws. The team remains 6th in the league, 5 points short of the top five.
- Real Betis scored in 8 of their last 9 La Liga matches.
- At least 2 goals were scored in 16 of the club's previous 17 Primera matches.
- The home team did not concede more than one goal in 7 of their last 9 matches in this competition.
Potential Real Betis Lineup (4-4-2)*
Alvaro Valles – Junior Firpo, Marc Bartra, Diego Gomez, Angel Ortiz – Giovani Lo Celso, Marc Roca, Pablo Fornals, Aitor Ruibal – Cucho Hernandez, Antoni.
Midfielders Sofyan Amrabat and Abde Ezzalzouli continue to play in the Africa Cup of Nations. Due to health issues, midfielder Isco, forward Cucho Hernandez and defender Junior Firpo are not available for the match.
Villarreal
Villarreal do not appear to have been unsettled by the defeat to Barcelona at the end of last year. Having ended one winning run, the visiting team immediately started another. After the break in the championship the club beat Elche and Alaves in succession by identical 3:1 scores. That helped the visiting team return to the top three and move 3 points clear of Atlético Madrid while holding a game in hand. Over a stretch of nine La Liga matches Villarreal have eight wins and that single defeat at home to Barcelona (0:2). Note that in the current Primera season the squad has conceded just 17 goals in total – the best defensive record alongside Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid.
- The club have scored in six consecutive away La Liga matches.
- Villarreal's uncompromising away run in this competition stretches seven matches (5 wins, 2 defeats).
- Since the start of the current La Liga season the squad have scored 37 goals in total, more only than two teams.
Potential Villarreal Lineup (4-4-2)*
Luis Junior – Juan Foyth, Alfonso Pedraza, Renato Veiga, Santiago Mourino – Tajon Buchanan, Dani Parejo, Santi Comesana, Alberto Moleiro – Ayoze Perez, Georges Mikautadze.
Midfielders Pape Gueye and Ilyas Ahomach are out due to participation in the Africa Cup of Nations. Due to injuries the team will be without defenders Logan Costa and Willy Kambwala, as well as forward Pau Cabanes.
Referee
Víctor García (Spain)
Matches – 10 (the La Liga, 2025/26);
Yellow Cards Shown (Including Second) – 27;
Average Yellow Cards Per Match – 2.7;
Red Cards Shown – 0;
Fouls Per Match – 22;
Penalties – 10%.
Real Betis vs Villarreal: Match Prediction
Real Betis remain inconsistent. On the one hand, the club lost only 4 of their 19 first-round Primera matches. The team tends to lose exclusively to clubs that qualify for the Champions League. At the same time, however, draws account for many results – even more than wins. In the last 8 La Liga meetings Real Betis have beaten only Getafe and Sevilla, both of which are in the lower half of the table.
Villarreal look much more confident: after the break in the championship they continue to impress with stability and rightfully remain among the leaders. The team won 8 of their last 9 La Liga matches, the only slip occurring in the December clash with an unstoppable Barcelona (0:2). Even away from home the squad faltered in only 1 of their previous 6 La Liga games, and their current winning run stands at 4 matches.
We also note that Villarreal have failed to lose in at least 5 of their last 6 head-to-head meetings at Real Betis in La Liga (4 wins, 1 draw). Our prediction is Villarreal to win or draw.
Prediction: Villarreal Double Chance
* The starting lineup listed for each team is from their previous match in this competition.
