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Real Betis – Valencia
The final curtain falls on the Primera División at the Estadio Benito Villamarín, but for Real Betis, the clash with Valencia CF has a special significance. Four days before the historic Conference League final against Chelsea, Manuel Pellegrini’s sixth-placed side are looking to boost their confidence once again. Valencia, in twelfth place under Carlos Corberán, are traveling without pressure after international competition is out of reach. The first leg ended 2-4 in favor of the Andalusians, with at least two goals scored in almost all of the last five head-to-head matches. Betis will be without Diego Llorente and Marc Roca, among others, while Valencia will continue to be without Thierry Correia, meaning that neither defense will be at full strength.
Betis – Valencia info
- Venue: Estadio Benito Villamarín, Seville
- Date and time: May 23, 2025, 9:00 p.m.
- Competition: Primera División (matchday 38)
Betis form & record
Betis’ league form has been inconsistent: one win, three draws, and one defeat in their last five competitive games. At least one goal has been scored in each of those games, with the action often coming after the break. Their poor start is particularly notable, as Betis were behind at halftime in four of those games. The absences of Roca and Llorente further thin out the defense, while key players such as Isco and Fornals are rarely rested. With 59 points, sixth place is secure, and nothing can happen either way in the table – the mental focus is clearly on the Europa League.
Conclusion: Betis remain dangerous in attack but vulnerable in defense, especially in the early stages.
Betis are likely to field a 4-2-3-1 formation once again: Adrián, Ruibal, Natan, Mendy, Perraud, with Cardoso and Altimira in front of them. The attacking trio will be Fornals, Lo Celso, and Ezzalzouli, with Bakambu up front. Isco and Antony remain strong substitutes.
Valencia are likely to stick with a 4-4-2 formation: Doménech, Mosquera, Tárrega, Diakhaby, Gayà, flanked by Rioja, Guerra, Barrenechea and Diego López. Sadiq and Almeida are expected to lead the attack. Apart from Correia, there are no notable absences.
Valencia form & record check
Valencia travel with two narrow 0-1 defeats under their belt, following two wins and a draw. The attack is faltering, but morale is high: in more than half of their last five games, the team scored after the break. Defensively, they failed to keep a clean sheet in four of those games, which is also due to the absence of Correia. With 45 points, Valencia is mid-table, with neither relegation fears nor European hopes determining their everyday life. Their form is therefore volatile, but not disastrous.
In short: Creativity fluctuates, stability is lacking – but Valencia can still strike in open games.
The last five direct encounters have yielded two wins each for both teams and one draw. There have always been at least two goals, and in around 80% of cases even “over 2.5.” Interestingly, the games were mostly quiet before the break, with the pace picking up significantly after the restart. Neither defense kept a clean sheet during this period – another indication of the scoring potential on both sides.
H2H Betis – Valencia Head-to-head comparison & statistics
The last five head-to-head matches have been evenly balanced: two wins for Real Betis, two for Valencia and one draw – most recently a 4-2 win for Valencia in November 2024. It is striking that there have been “over 1.5 goals” in all five games, which suggests that these are offensive encounters. Approximately 80% of the games even ended with more than 2.5 goals.
Interestingly, the first halves of these matches were mostly quiet: in four of the last five games, fewer than 1.5 goals were scored before the break. After the break, the tide often turned – especially in terms of goal frequency. In 80% of the matches, at least two goals were scored in the second half. Such patterns suggest that tactical adjustments after the break regularly lead to more action.
Betis have never kept a clean sheet in these encounters, and Valencia have done so just as rarely. Both teams have scored at least once in four of the five meetings. Nevertheless, it is striking that neither team has built up a long winning streak against the other. There are many indications that, after a rather cautious first half, an open, high-scoring duel can be expected.
