Preview: Real Betis vs. Getafe - prediction, team news, lineups

Getafe's search for their first points of the 2021-22 La Liga campaign will continue on Sunday evening when they make the trip to Seville to take on Real Betis.

Michel's side have lost all six of their league fixtures this season to sit 19th in the table, while Betis occupy eighth, having picked up nine points from their opening six matches this term.

Match preview

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Betis have won two, drawn three and lost one of their opening six matches of the 2021-22 La Liga campaign, which has seen them collect nine points to occupy eighth position in the table, level on points with seventh-placed Barcelona, albeit having played a game more than the Catalan giants.

Manuel Pellegrini's side are competing in the group stages of the Europa League this season, meanwhile, and opened their campaign with a 4-3 home success over Scottish giants Celtic on September 16.

In La Liga, Betis are also in impressive form, having picked up seven points from their last three matches against Granada, Espanyol and Osasuna, beating the latter 3-1 away from home on Wednesday night.

The Green and Whites appeared to be heading for a draw at Estadio El Sadar, with the two sides locked at 1-1 approaching the final 10 minutes, but Juanmi and Willian Jose both struck in the latter stages to help Pellegrini's side record their second league win of the season.

Betis have only actually won one of their last six La Liga meetings against Getafe, though, suffering four defeats in the process, including a 3-0 loss in Madrid last September.

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Getafe finished eighth, fifth and eighth in La Liga between 2017 and 2020 but ended last season down in 15th, and it has been a disappointing start to the 2021-22 campaign for the club.

Indeed, Michel's side are yet to get off the mark in the league this season, losing all six of their matches against Valencia, Sevilla, Barcelona, Elche, Rayo Vallecano and Atletico Madrid.

There were certainly encouraging signs in the 2-1 home defeat to Atletico on Tuesday night, but the fact that Getafe have only scored twice in La Liga this season is a concern, even at this early stage.

The Deep Blue Ones will believe that they have more than enough quality to move up the table in the coming weeks, but the Madrid club spent the 2016-17 campaign in the Segunda Division after a disappointing 2015-16 and dropping out of the division will be a huge concern amid a poor start.

Team News

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Betis will have German Pezzella available this weekend, with the defender returning to the squad following a one-game suspension, but Marc Bartra, Victor Ruiz, Youssouf Sabaly and Diego Lainez are all still injured.

Kike Hermoso's impressive performance against Osasuna could see the Spaniard retain his spot in the middle of the defence, while Martin Montoya may again feature at right-back, with Hector Bellerin facing a late fitness test.

Juanmi's goal off the bench on Wednesday could earn the attacker a spot in the starting XI here, but Nabil Fekir, Sergio Canales and Borja Iglesias should all keep their positions in attack.

As for Getafe, Carles Alena was sent off in the 2-1 defeat to Atletico last time out and will therefore be suspended for Sunday's contest with Betis.

The visitors are also still missing a number of key players through injury, with Jakub Jankto, Vitolo, Mauro Arambarri and Sabit Abdulai all absent, while Sandro Ramirez and Erick Cabaco will face late fitness tests.

Head coach Mikel will have been encouraged by what he saw against Atletico, though, so it would not be a surprise to see the same team, aside from Alena, who could be replaced by Jonathan Silva, with the Argentine potentially operating in the number 10 position behind Jaime Mata and Jose Juan Macias.

Real Betis possible starting lineup:
Bravo; Montoya, Hermoso, Gonzalez, Moreno; Rodriguez, Guardado; Juanmi, Canales, Fekir; Iglesias

Getafe possible starting lineup:
Soria; Dakonam, Cuenca, Mitrovic; Iglesias, Maksimovic, Florentino, Olivera; Silva; Macias, Mata

We say: Real Betis 1-0 Getafe

A full-strength Getafe are capable of giving any side in the league a tough examination, but the capital outfit will once again be missing some key players on Sunday, and we are therefore backing Betis to continue their impressive run of form with a narrow victory in Seville.