Espanyol – Real Betis

Betis looks stronger before the match.

On Sunday, October 5, Espanyol will play at home against Real Betis. The Catalans have started excellently. The club was predicted to fight for survival – currently sitting in seventh place in the table. Betis has also gathered 12 points – such a start was expected for the Seville team. Last season, Espanyol only managed to secure their place in La Liga at the end of the championship – there was a tight fight for survival. Currently, the team has only lost to Real Madrid away – 0:2. It should be noted that they have a comfortable schedule. After a difficult start, Espanyol has mainly played against lower-tier teams – either winning hard-fought matches or dropping points. In the match against Valencia, they conceded two goals and settled for a draw at home. Against the currently hopeless Girona, they played to a 0:0 draw, despite the opponent still having no wins. Now, from three rounds, Espanyol has gathered two points and scored two goals. This means there are no real signs of competing for European spots. Interestingly, Espanyol is currently significantly underperforming in terms of goals scored – finishing is poor. They have scored 2.5 goals fewer than expected. This is partly offset by luck in defence – they have conceded one and a half goals fewer. The club is facing difficulties with injuries. Defender Leandro Cabrera and his defensive colleague Urko de Salarte will definitely not play. These are two players from the main rotation. Betis is currently managing well in two competitions. The finalists of last season's Conference League have successfully started their campaign in the Europa League – with four points. In the match against Ludogorets in Bulgaria, Manuel Pellegrini decided to use a less than full-strength team. For instance, Antonio was rested, although he played against Nottingham. Betis started the championship well in La Liga as well. So far, they have only one defeat – against Atletico at home. At the same time, it is important to note that they have not yet faced any of the top three giants – meaning the schedule has not been difficult. Betis had a brilliant match winning against Real Sociedad – 3:1. Many goals have become a distinctive trend for the team in this season. Prior to that, there was a high-scoring draw with Levante – 2:2, and they also exchanged goals in a match against Celta (1:1). Last season, Betis had massive problems with injuries – now their injury list is gradually clearing up. However, they still have to play without Isco. The veteran will definitely not be on the pitch in the next match. Besides Isco, there are also absences of Marc Bartra, Nelson Deyvessy and Diego Llorente. On the other hand, right-back Hector Bellerin is expected to play – he became a regular back in August. Betis currently looks like a stronger team. And according to the odds, the guests have no advantage at all. The Europa League match is unlikely to have any impact – there is currently a certain depth in the guests' squad.