Raphael Durand
Dailysports's expert
One of the Spanish Cup matches will be played on Wednesday at the "Olympico" stadium, where Barcelona will face Betis. I suggest a bet on goals in this matchup with good chances of success.
Match Preview
Barcelona continues to confirm its status as the main favorite of the Copa del Rey, being the most successful club in the tournament's history with 31 victories. The last time the Catalans won this prestigious trophy was 4 years ago when they confidently defeated Athletic 4-0 in the final. Last season, the team reached the quarterfinals but was eliminated by the same Athletic after a 2-2 draw in normal time and a 0-2 defeat in extra time.
This season, under Hans Flick, Barcelona began their Copa del Rey campaign with a confident away win against Barbastro (4-0). Overall, in the last 13 matches in the Copa del Rey, Barcelona has only lost once in normal time, with 8 wins and 4 draws. Last week, the Blaugrana won the Spanish Super Cup, defeating Athletic (2-0) and Real Madrid (4-2). However, in the league, Barça is currently in third place.
Betis has made its way through three rounds of the Copa del Rey, and although they haven't faced any major opponents, the team has handled the task confidently. Betis secured impressive victories over Hevoro (6-1), Sant Andreu (3-1), and Huesca (1-0). Last season, they were eliminated in the round of 16 by Alavés (0-1), and two years ago, they lost to Osasuna at the same stage.
However, it's worth noting that in the 2021/22 season, Betis won the Copa del Rey, defeating Valencia in the final. Overall, Betis has shown excellent results in the Copa del Rey, not losing in normal time in 23 of the last 24 matches (16 wins and 7 draws). Over the weekend, Betis lost to Valladolid 0-1 away. After 19 rounds, the team is in 10th place, 5 points behind the teams in the European competition spots.
Probable Lineups
- Barcelona: Peña, Balde, Martínez, Kubarsi, Koundé, Pedri, Casado, López, Gavi, Raphinha, Lewandowski
- Betis: Silva, Bellerín, Bartra, Llorente, Perro, Cardoso, Altimira, Ruibal, Fornals, Bakambu, Avilá
Match Facts and Head-to-Head
- Barcelona had a 4-match winning streak over Betis, but they failed to defeat their opponent in the first round of the current season away (2-2).
- The "Total over 2.5" bet has hit in the last five matches between these teams.
- The "Both Teams to Score" bet has hit in 3 out of the last 5 matches.
Prediction
Bookmakers give a clear advantage to the hosts, but the odds on Barcelona's victory are modest – 1.27. I believe the best bet here would be "Both Teams to Score" with a coefficient of 1.70.
