New Spanish Super Cup champions, Barcelona, will battle a stubborn Real Betis side in the Copa del Rey Round of 16 on Wednesday, January 15, for a place in the quarter-finals.
The Blaugrana, record winners of the competition with 31 titles, aim to take another step toward reclaiming the trophy they last won in 2021. Meanwhile, Betis, the 2022 champions, hope to capitalize on Barcelona's recent inconsistencies.
🔴Barcelona Look to Get Back at Betis For Laliga Draw | Home Win = 1.25💵
Barcelona enters this clash with memories of their 2-2 draw with Real Betis fresh in memory and a little revenge to look forward to. Hansi Flick’s lads, fresh from their triumph in Saudi Arabia, would want to follow the great example they set against a Real Madrid team in the final of the Super Cup.
Having been a while since they lifted their favourite trophy, aside from the Spanish Super Cup, the Copa del Rey in 2021, Barcelona would want to get back to lifting it but to get the chance to, they would have to overcome this Betis side.
This shouldn’t be too big an ask, especially with the likes of Robert Lewandowski, who scored twice in their 4-0 Copa del Rey win over Barbastro, Raphina and Yamal in the form they are in now.
🟢Real Betis Aim to Exploit Barcelona's Woes | Away Win = 9.20💵
Real Betis arrives in Catalonia on the back of a narrow 1-0 win over Huesca in the previous round of the Copa del Rey, with Isco scoring the decisive goal. However, their last league game, which ended in a 1-0 defeat to Valladolid, highlights their inconsistency.
Manuel Pellegrini’s side has managed just one win in their last eight La Liga games and averages only 1.1 goals per match. However, among those eight games is a 2-2 draw against Barcelona and that should give them enough vigour coming into this one.
🗝️Key Players & Team News📰:
Hansi Flick’s men will be without key players Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Inigo Martinez, with the latter sidelined after picking up a hamstring injury in the Super Cup final.
Barcelona will miss Szczesny, who is suspended, with Inaki Pena stepping in as the likely replacement. Lewandowski’s goal-scoring prowess and Raphinha’s form will be central to Barcelona’s attack.
Betis, on the other hand, will travel without Giovani Lo Celso, Hector Bellerin, and Chimy Avila, all sidelined due to injuries. Isco’s creativity and Vitor Roque’s potential return to the starting lineup could prove decisive for Betis.
🔢Match Stats & Betting Odds🔢 | Draw = 6.20💵
⚽Barcelona has won five of their eight La Liga home games this season, scoring 20 goals. Betis has failed to win any of their last six encounters with Barcelona, losing five times. | Specials Market: Home & Over 2.5 = 2.08
⚽The Blaugrana have lost three consecutive matches at the Estadi Olimpic, casting doubt on their ability to dominate in Catalonia, while Betis drew their last meeting with Barca 2-2. | Specials Market: Draw/Away & Over 1.5 = 4.10
⚽The recent head-to-heads between these teams have been high-scoring affairs, with over 3.5 goals coming in four (4) of their last five (5) meetings. | Main Market: Over 3.5 = 1.86
This game promises to be a fascinating clash of styles as Barcelona seeks to reassert dominance on home turf while Betis looks to exploit their vulnerabilities.
🔗You can follow the Copa del Rey game, Barcelona vs Real Betis, here on MSport.
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The stakes are high as Arsenal host Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates in a Wednesday night North London Derby. Arsenal aim to keep their Premier League title hopes alive, while Spurs look to end a poor league run by getting back at Arsenal for the 1-0 defeat in September.
🔴Arsenal Look to Avoid Dropping Anymore Points| Home Win = 1.49💵
Despite recent struggles—losing to Newcastle and Manchester United in cup competitions—the Gunners remain just 6 points behind league leaders, Liverpool, who have a game in hand, and if the Gunners hope to challenge for the title, they would want to avoid dropping any more points and that means doing the business against Spurs.
Arsenal are unbeaten in their last five derby clashes with Spurs, winning four and drawing the other. In addition, Mikel Arteta’s side boasts an impressive average of over 2 goals per game against Spurs in their last 5 home derbies, something they would take a lot of inspiration from going into this one.
🤍Tottenham Seek to Break Poor Form with Revenge | Away Win = 6.50💵
Tottenham have struggled in the Premier League, failing to win their last four games (3L 1D). However, Ange Postecoglou’s side have shown resilience in recent cup matches, including a hard-fought 1-0 win over Liverpool in the EFL Cup and a rather disappointing 3-0 extra-time win over Tamworth in the FA Cup.
Spurs have conceded in 25 consecutive league games at the Emirates, an alarming statistic for a team aiming to keep Arsenal at bay. That said, they will still have to go ahead and try because the 8 points currently between them and the relegation spots, is not that huge.
🗝️Key Players & Team News📰:
Arsenal will miss Gabriel Jesus, Saka, White, and Takehiro Tomiyasu due to injuries, while Arteta is expected to persist with Kai Havertz despite his recent poor form. Martin Ødegaard’s creativity and the defensive stability of Declan Rice will be crucial.
Archie Gray and Radu Dragusin will continue as Tottenham’s makeshift defence with Christian Romero, Van de Ven and Udogie still out. With Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski in form, Spurs’ attack will rely on quick transitions to exploit Arsenal’s weakened backline.
🔢Match Stats & Betting Odds | Draw = 5.26💵
⚽Arsenal are unbeaten in their last five matches against Spurs, with four wins. Their last two home derbies saw over 3.5 goals, highlighting the high-scoring nature of this fixture. | Specials Market: Home Win & Over 3.5 = 2.70
⚽Spurs have been poor recently, but they boast huge wins like a 4-0 and 2-1 win over Man City away and home, a 1-0 win over Liverpool and a 3-0 win over Man United, cementing themselves as some giant-slayers. They also drew 2-2 with Arsenal at the Emirates on their last visit. | Specials Market: Draw/Away & Over 1.5 = 3.10
🔗You can check out the EPL game, Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspurs, on MSport👇🏿:
#EPL #Arsenal #TottenhamHotspurs #Spurs #Gunners #Arteta #Kai #Son #Ange #COYS #Kulusevski #Odegaard