Barcelona will be hoping they can move into the top half of the La Liga table when they host Real Betis on Saturday at 3:15pm.
The Blaugrana have not had the best start to life under Ronald Koeman and currently sit 12th after six games. They have won two, drawn two and lost two of those games and are without victory in their past four league matches, a run which included their 3-1 Clasico defeat by Real Madrid last month.
Barcelona’s opponents this weekend, Real Betis, are four points above them in the table, albeit having played two games more. Manuel Pellegrini’s men have won half of their opening eight games, losing the other four, but they have a poor record against Barcelona, winning only one of the past 18 league meetings.
Can Barcelona get back to winning ways, or will pressure continue to mount on Koeman?
Where to watch Barcelona vs Real Betis on TV:
- UK: LaLigaTV
- US: beIN SPORTS
Where to live stream Barcelona vs Real Betis:
UK: Bet365* are streaming this match live for account holders. Those without a Bet365 account already who are interested in streaming Barcelona vs Real Betis live can take advantage of this service by following the simple steps below.
Barcelona & Real Betis’ previous line-ups:
- Barcelona (vs Dynamo Kyiv): Ter Stegen; Dest, De Jong, Pique, Alba; Busquets, Pjanic; Messi, Pedri, Fati; Griezmann.
- Real Betis (vs Elche): Bravo; Emerson, Mandi, Barta, Moreno; Fekir, Rodriguez, Canales; Joaquin, Sanabria, Tello.
After starting on the bench in midweek, Clement Lenglet should return to the centre of defence, allowing Frenkie De Jong to push into his natural midfield position. Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s start in midweek came as a big boost and the German will continue in goal.
Martin Montoya is available once more for Real Betis after missing last week’s game through suspension.
Players to watch:
- Barcelona: With every passing game, Ansu Fati has been demonstrating why Barcelona are set for when Lionel Messi retires (at least in attack). The Spaniard has finally been given an extended run in the first team after struggling for game time under previous managers Ernesto Valverde and Quique Setien. Fati has been directly involved in seven goals in eight games under Koeman, including seven starts, more than any of his teammates. In the league, Fati’s four goals is the same amount the rest of the Barcelona squad have managed together. Barcelona may well be relying on Fati to get them back to winning ways.
- Real Betis: There are a number of ex-Barcelona players in the Real Betis squad this season, but the one who appears most likely to hurt his former club is Cristian Tello. The 29-year-old came through the famed La Masia academy and made his first-team debut under Pep Guardiola in November 2011, becoming part of the squad for the remainder of that season. But, like many before him, he struggled to get into the team with the likes of Messi and Pedro ahead of him. In 2017 he made the move to Real Betis, where he has scored four league goals in each of the seasons since. Tello has already matched that tally in eight games this season, and will be hopeful of breaking his personal record against his former side.
Scoreline prediction: Barcelona 2-2 Real Betis
La Liga 2020/21 recent form:
- Barcelona: WDLLD
- Real Betis: LWLLW