Betis vs Girona prediction: SPAIN: LaLiga betting tips on match 2024-08-14 19:30.
[p]Real Betis finished seventh last season, their worst La Liga finish over the last four campaigns, but enough to qualify for the UEFA Conference League play-off round and a fourth successive qualification for European competition. While the Conference League fixture looms large, they can’t take their eyes off their opening league game against Girona, a team they failed to defeat in 2023/24 (D1, L1).[/p]
[p]Manuel Pellegrini remains in charge despite rumours linking him with an exit, with the veteran manager no doubt targeting another top-six finish, having achieved the feat in his first three campaigns at the club. Betis’ form at their Estadio Benito VillamarĂn fortress will be crucial for realising those ambitions, as Los Verdiblancos lost only three league games there last season (W9, D7), although all three came during this calendar year.[/p]
[p]Girona were one of European football’s biggest surprise packages in 2023/24, finishing third and consequently reaching the UEFA Champions League in just their fourth-ever top-flight campaign. The White and Reds have, sadly, been a victim of their own success, with last season’s La Liga top scorer Artem Dovbyk (24 goals) joining Roma. The visitors here now face an uphill task to replace his output, as they look to replicate their scoring form of last term that saw only champions Real Madrid find the net more often than them in the league. [/p]
[p]While juggling Champions League and domestic commitments will be tough, the immediate challenges for manager MĂchel were amplified with five players missing their last pre-season friendly due to a virus. At this rate, Girona won’t mind escaping the Benito VillamarĂn with a draw, something they managed to do last December (1-1) and in three of their four previous La Liga campaign openers (L1).[/p]
[p]Players to watch: Betis’ Juanmi has often impressed on matchday one, having contributed five goals (G4, A1) in his last five such appearances. By contrast, Cristhian Stuani has only scored twice on matchday one in his La Liga career, although he did produce a 92nd-minute winner to make it 3-2 to Girona when these sides last met in March. [/p]
[p]Hot stat: The last five La Liga H2Hs have seen both teams score, with Girona netting the opener in the last four of those encounters.[/p]
[p][i]Written by Sridhar Bhamidi[/i][/p]