Betis vs Aris prediction: EUROPE: Europa League – Group Stage betting tips on match 2023-11-08 20:00.
The defensive crisis that beset Real Betis earlier in the campaign due to mounting injuries appears to have settled. Despite those prior issues, Betis find themselves on a run of ten games without defeat (W6, D4) since losing in this competition away to Rangers in September, and just to highlight how well they’ve done amid the absence of a number of players, the Andalusian outfit conceded no more than one goal in each of those ten games!
That includes a 1-0 away victory over upcoming opponents Aris Limassol that sees them sit top of UEFA Europa League (UEL) Group C heading into Thursday. Everything currently points towards them advancing beyond the group stage of the UEL for a fifth successive time (across 11 seasons), particularly as two of their three remaining fixtures are at home. And to add to the positive omens, Betis are unbeaten in all 13 UEL home group-stage games (W8, D5) they’ve ever played!
Aris returned to winning form domestically with two triumphs since last meeting Betis. Their 2-1 weekend victory kept them on top domestically, with the Light Brigade looking to defend their inaugural league title. The Group C longshots have acquitted themselves admirably in their UEL debut campaign too, restricting Betis (L 1-0) and Sparta Prague (L 3-2) to one-goal margins while surprisingly getting the better of Rangers at home.
That win over Rangers keeps them in the hunt for the Round of 16 but their struggles on the road in their brief European history (W1, L4) could easily derail their bid, especially as two of their three remaining games are away from home. They can be a tricky opponent though, as Betis discovered in the reverse H2H, with their resolute defence conceding just one first-half goal across their last six competitive outings (W5, L1).
Players to watch: Ayoze Pérez scored the winner against Aris in the reverse fixture and the clincher in Betis’ 2-0 weekend win over Mallorca. For Aris, Yannick Gomis registered his third brace of the season at the weekend, with the previous occasions on which he has netted at least twice coming in UEFA competitions earlier this term.
Hot stat: All but two of Aris’ nine continental matches this term have produced over 2.5 total goals, with the reverse H2H being one of them.