Real Betis welcome Valencia to the Estadio Benito Villamarín on Sunday evening with both sides navigating contrasting seasons. Manuel Pellegrini's men sit sixth in La Liga on 32 points, comfortably positioned in the European hunt, while Carlos Corberán's Valencia languish in 17th with 20 points, just above the relegation zone. The hosts will enter as clear favorites at home, where they have won 20 of their last 30 meetings against Los Che. A Valencia side fighting for survival makes this fixture one of the weekend's more intriguing matchups.
Betis arrive fresh from a 2-1 Europa League victory over Feyenoord that secured automatic passage to the Round of 16. Their domestic form has been less convincing—a 2-1 defeat at Alavés followed an earlier loss at PAOK. Pellegrini will be without Diego Llorente, Junior Firpo, and Isco through injury. The Chilean manager can still call upon Giovani Lo Celso and Antony, who have combined for key contributions in attack. At home against La Liga's struggling sides, Betis have shown clinical finishing, evidenced by their 2-0 win over Villarreal in mid-January.
Valencia's campaign has been a battle for survival under Corberán, who replaced Rubén Baraja in December 2024. The 41-year-old Spaniard has steadied the ship to some degree, guiding the club through an eight-game unbeaten stretch at one point. With only four wins from 20 league matches, however, Los Che remain in deep trouble. Umar Sadiq has emerged as a crucial figure in attack, and the Nigerian striker will need another productive outing if Valencia are to take anything from Seville. Defensive fragility remains the core issue, with Valencia conceding 12 more goals than they have scored.
The two clubs have produced entertaining encounters recently, with their last two meetings finishing 1-1 in both November 2025 and May 2025. Before that, Valencia won a thrilling 4-2 clash at Mestalla in November 2024, while Betis took the April 2024 fixture 2-1. Goals have featured prominently in this rivalry—all four matches over the past two years produced at least two goals. Valencia historically leads the all-time head-to-head with 29 wins to Betis's 16 in their last 50 meetings, though the home side has dominated at the Villamarín.
I'm backing Both Teams To Score at 1.75. Betis have scored in 7 of their last 8 home matches, while Valencia have found the net in 12 of 20 league games despite their struggles. The hosts' injury absences in defense create opportunities for Valencia's attack. The xG projection (1.74–1.24) supports a 2-1 finish.
