Barcelona aim to get back to winning ways after being held to a 1:1 draw by local rivals Espanyol, and everything suggests we can expect a string performance from the Catalans. Real Betis are flying high after winning their last three league games and they enter this match in great spirits.

Costly slip-up at Montjuic

After successfully sustaining Real Madrid’s challenge last season, Barcelona are finding it hard to match their rivals’ achievements this term. In spite of winning the El Clasico match at Bernabeu, the Catalans currently sit five points adrift of Real in the La Liga standings, and that goes to show that Pep Guradiola’s side have experienced far too many problems against those smaller sides. In all fairness, the Catalans mostly struggle on the travels, where they have won just three of eight games, whereas the 8-1-0 home record doesn’t say as much as the amazing 39:0 goal difference at Camp Nou. Barcelona players have a point to prove after they were outplayed by Espanyol at Montjuic, and they certainly welcomed the rest they were given by Guardiola in the Copa del Rey clash with Osasuna. The Catalans now need a morale-boosting victory in order to restore some of the lost confidence, so don’t be surprised if you see the hosts very motivated to record a big win.

Pep Guardiola faces a real selection headache as Andreu Fontas and Pedro have been added to the injury list that already contained Alexis Sanchez and David Villa. Seydou Keita is away on international duty, whereas Maxwell has made a switch to PSG.

Strange, strange Betis

Real Betis were always regarded as one of the most exciting sides in Spanish La Liga and they made sure to justify al the hype immediately after gaining promotion from Segunda. Los Verdiblancos started the season with a bang, winning their first four league games, but then suffered an amazing dip in form, which saw them pick up just one point from next ten La Liga games. Pepe Mel’s side finally ended the dismal run as they beat Valencia at home, by scoring two injury-time goals, before going on to win their next two league games, against Atletico Madrid and Sporting Gijon. Being a genuine Dr Jekyll and Mister Hyde team, nobody is really sure which side of their person will show up at Camp Nou, but, one way or another, we can expect a memorable performance from Real Betis.

Coach Pepe Mel is determined to field a 100% fit team at Camp Nou, which is why Mario, Juanma and Roque Santa Cruz will be left on the bench, and the visitors should line up in attacking 4-3-3 formation.

Verdict

Barcelona need a big win in order to restore some of the lost confidence after the Espanyol slip-up, whereas Real Betis are expected to adopt a positive approach after the run of three straight victories. The Catalans have yet to concede at Camp Nou this season, but that run will be put to a serious test. All things considered, over 3.5 goals looks like the best option here.

Our prediction: Over 3.5 goals

Odds: 1.76 (19/25)

Bookmaker: Betfair