Villarreal vs Real Betis LIVE - Confirmed starting lineups & pre-match updates for LaLiga clash
(Courtesy : LaLiga)
Villarreal head into this fixture still searching for their first win under new head coach Inigo Perez. The former Rayo Vallecano manager arrived at La Cerámica with high expectations after an impressive spell in charge of Rayo, where he guided the club to an eighth-place finish in the 2024-25 season and later led them to the UEFA Conference League final.
However, life at Villarreal has not started as planned. The Yellow Submarine are currently on a five-match winless run across all competitions. They began their LaLiga campaign with consecutive 2-2 draws against Racing Santander and Atletico Madrid before suffering defeats to Alaves and Deportivo La Coruna.
Things did not improve in midweek when Villarreal made their return to the UEFA Champions League. Despite finding the net through Santiago Mourino and benefiting from a late own goal, Perez’s side fell to a narrow 3-2 defeat against Borussia Dortmund in Germany. With matches against Real Betis, Malaga and Levante still to come before the international break, Villarreal are under pressure to turn their season around quickly.
There is at least some encouragement for Perez ahead of this clash. In his managerial career, he has never lost against Betis, recording one win and four draws in five previous meetings.
Betis, on the other hand, have enjoyed a much stronger start to the season. Manuel Pellegrini’s side have won four of their first five competitive matches and recently claimed an impressive 1-0 victory over Real Madrid in LaLiga.
The Seville-based club carried that momentum into Europe, beating Lille 3-2 away from home in their first Champions League match since the 2005-06 season. Marc Bartra scored twice as Betis came from behind on two occasions, while Troy Parrott followed up his winner against Real Madrid by scoring on his Champions League debut.
Betis also boast a strong recent record against Villarreal. They collected four points from their two league meetings last season and are unbeaten in their last four visits to La Ceramica, winning twice and drawing twice during that run.
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