Real Sociedad vs Real Betis
Spain – Copa del Rey
Date: Thursday, 17th January 2019
Kick-off at 18.30 UK/ 19.30 CET
Venue: Estadio Anoeta (San Sebastian).
REASON FOR REAL SOCIEDAD VS REAL BETIS BETTING TIPS
Of the two teams, since they were playing in front of a home crowd, it will probably be Betis that were more disappointed with last Thursday's 0-0 draw. That failure to win was their third in a row, while the Andalusians made it four games without a win when they lost to Real Madrid at the weekend. Quique Setién's men will be hoping to avoid their winless run stretching to five.
Both teams created a little bit when they met in the first leg, so a 0-0 probably wasn't the right score-line, but a draw was certainly the right result, as the pair were reasonably evenly matched. Betis dominated in terms of shots on target and possession, though in terms of clear-cut opportunities, the pair created about the same, which wasn't an awful lot. Sociedad recorded 0.99 expected goals for, while Betis did slightly better in creating 1.16.
Sociedad will be pleased that they restricted Betis last week and they ought to feel that they can offer more going forward back in front of their own fans. On their own patch, Sociedad haven't got too many great results of of late; they beat Espanyol on Monday night, which was their first win at Anoeta since the end of November. That said, they've been a little unlucky and have generally looked goof from a performance point of view. Imanol Alguacil's men have currently boast an average expected goal difference of +0.40 at home, while they've bettered their opponents in terms of expected goals in each of their last seven at home.
In contrast, Betis have often found it tough to put their best foot forward away from home. The visitors have started to make a habit of giving away more chances than they create when playing on the road, as the fact that they've been outperformed in terms of expected goals in six of their last seven travelling matches. The fact that they failed to emerge as the superior side in terms of creativity in front of their own fans in the first leg is also disappointing.
The bet that stands out ahead of this match is 'Sociedad to Win & Under 3.5 Goals'. Sociedad haven't tended to batter teams; they've only scored two or more three times at home this season, while they've only recorded 2.0+ expected goals for twice, though they have shown enough to suggest that they can edge out Betis, who've not been at their most creative away from home.
Real Sociedad vs Real Betis Head-to-head (h2h)
Imanol Alguacil's men have failed to score in their last three appearances against this opponent.
Five of the last six h2h ties at this venue saw both teams on the scoresheet.
The last three games between these sides had just one goal in grand total.
The highest-scoring match that involved these groups was a 4-4 draw at the Anoeta, in 2017.
Real Sociedad vs Real Betis Prediction
It's true that the Anoeta is the stronghold of Erreala. But Beticos, the team that inflicted Barcelona with one of their heaviest defeats in recent history, at the Camp Nou nonetheless, will find a way somehow to overcome this challenge.
The Whites and Blues will come up with their usual defensive strategies, and in turn, the match will be low-key in terms of goals. But the visitors should turn up the heat with their intricate passing and incessant attacking.
The last three matches in a row, between these teams, were extremely low goal-scoring affairs. To be precise, the three games had a combined scoreline of 1-0 in favor of Betis. Expect under 2.5 goals in this tie too.
It will take some time for the visitors to break down the determined defense of Imanol Alguacil's men. But at one point or the other, the non-stop attacking threat should be fruitful.
Once the goal comes for the visitors, they will take the foot off the gas, avoiding a chance to concede and jeopardize their hard work. They will try to finish off the game by passing the ball around, and attacking only when there's a clear opportunity. Keeping in trend with La Real's home games, such opportunities might be rare. Expect a 0-1 scoreline in favor of the guests.
Real Sociedad vs Real Betis Betting Tips
Under 2.5 Match Goals @ 1.60 (3/5)
Correct Score: 0-1, Real Betis @ 9.00 (8/1).