Real Betis need to quickly recover from the Europa League heartbreak as anything but a win against Atletico Madrid would keep their survival chances in La Liga very slim. Meanwhile, los Colchoneros plan to take advantage of the fact their title rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona square off at Santiago Bernabeu and close the gap behind the top of the standings.

Nine points behind safety

Nobody could imagine that Real Betis would be fighting for their lives this term after achieving seventh-placed finish and qualifying for Europe last season. However, los Verdiblancos just couldn’t find the right balance between their Europa League and La Liga campaigns, and they now look destined for the drop. The team have shown some improvement of late, with league win over Getafe helping keep their survival hopes alive, but midweek’s defeat to local rivals Sevilla that saw them crash out of Europe could have a big effect on the outcome of the current season. Boss Gabriel Calderon will probably be happy that his side can now fully focus on La Liga, but facing in-form Atletico Madrid less than 72 hours after playing 120 minutes against Sevilla is hardly a perfect scenario. Real Betis players will be low on confidence after squandering a two-goal lead from the first leg to lose the tie on penalties, while injury to important defender Damien Perquis only makes matters worse. And while the hosts can be trusted to attack Atletico in search of a win, beating the title contenders looks easier said than done.

Nosa Igiebor, Damien Perquis, Chuli, Joan Verdu and Xavi Torres are all out injured, but several players will be recalled after they were rested in midweek.

Back in business

The mere fact Atletico Madrid are still effectively in the La Liga title chase speaks volumes about team’s performances this term, and their consistency has been quite impressive. Many believed los Colchoneros would crumble following several disappointing defeats in February, but Diego Simeone’s charges proved a great deal of character to return to the right track. Atletico were very close to defeating arch rivals Real Madrid in the league clash at Vicente Calderon, before winning three straight matches to further improve their league position and qualify for the Champions League quarter-finals. And while los Colchoneros will be vying league rivals Barcelona for a semi-final berth, they could close the gap behind leaders Real in La Liga by defeating rock-bottom Real Betis on Sunday afternoon. Namely, with El Clasico match scheduled for Saturday, Atletico could either cement the second place or edge closer to league leaders depending on the outcome. And with their opponents in all sorts of problems at the moment, Diego Simeone’s men look more than capable of keeping their part of the bargain.

Tiago Mendes misses out through suspension, but Mario Suarez and Miranda are available after serving their bans, whilst Adrian Lopez has recovered from injury.

Verdict

Tired legs will be the problem for Real Betis after they played 120 minutes in midweek and with several important players missing, I seriously doubt they will be able to match in-form Atletico. Los Colchoneros are at full strength and brimming with confidence at the moment, so they should be backed to win at Estadio Benito Villamarin.

Top pick: Away win   1.62 (5/8) @ Betfred

Alternative pick 1: Both teams to score   2.10 (11/10) @ bet365

Alternative pick 2: Atletico/Atletico   2.45 (29/20) @ BetVictor