Betis vs Girona Prediction: 15/8/2024

Last season, Betis Sevilla, hindered by numerous injuries to key players, finished in 7th place, which was enough to qualify them for the Conference League playoffs. Despite not being clear favorites, Betis remains a contender for European competitions, possibly even the Champions League. In their preseason, the Verdiblancos played just three friendlies, starting strongly with a 5-1 victory over Austria Salzburg.

Girona, the previous season’s dark horse, competed fiercely with Real Madrid for the La Liga title before finishing third, securing a Champions League spot. This club, part of the City Group, is set to host Champions League matches at Montilivi Stadium. During the offseason, they played six friendlies, with the first two ending in draws against Olot (1-1) and Montpellier (3-3).

Betis saw significant changes in their squad, losing top scorer Willian José to Spartak Moscow and other key players like Abner and Riad, who moved to Lyon and Crystal Palace, respectively. Juan Miranda transferred to Bologna on a free. Still, Betis retained Nabil Fekir and Isco, despite the latter’s potential unavailability due to injury. They bolstered their team with several new signings, including goalkeeper Adrian from Liverpool, defender Diego Llorente from AS Roma, and forward Iker Losada, who had impressive stats in the second division.

Girona, now in the Champions League, saw both key signings and significant departures. Aleix Garcia moved to Bayer Leverkusen, and Artem Dovbyk, last season’s top scorer, is likely heading to Atlético Madrid. Returnees to Barcelona and other moves saw their roster change considerably, but they have made strategic new signings like Van de Beek from Manchester United, Abel Ruiz from Braga, and promising young talent Misehouy from Ajax.

 

Prediction

Reflecting on recent performances, Girona has maintained a low scoring record away from home, with no game exceeding three goals in their last 15 La Liga travels. Similarly, Betis has seen fewer than 3.5 goals in 17 of their last 19 home matches. Therefore, a low-scoring draw seems likely for their upcoming encounter.

Predicted Score: Betis 1, Girona 1