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Real Betis vs. Barcelona: Odds, Preview, Live Stream, TV Info for La Liga Game
March 16, 2019
La Liga leaders Barcelona close Week 28 with a visit to Real Betis at the Estadio Benito Villamarin in Seville on Sunday, when Ernesto Valverde's men can extend their run of 15 league matches unbeaten.
Barca lead Atletico Madrid by seven points and hope to increase that this weekend, with a chance to take revenge against Los Verdiblancos after losing 4-3 to this opponent at the Camp Nou earlier this season.
Betis have lost only once in their last four league games, but Quique Setien's side are without a win in their previous four home outings in all competitions.
Barcelona were 5-0 victors when they last travelled to Benito Villamarin in January 2018, and the Blaugrana return as big favourite.
Date: Sunday, March 17
Time: 7:45 p.m. GMT/3:45 p.m. ET
Venue: Estadio Benito Villamarin, Seville, Spain
Live Stream: ITV Player (UK), Eleven Sports, Premier Sports (UK), beIN Sports Connect (U.S.)
TV Info: ITV 4 (UK), beIN Sports 3 (U.S.)
Odds
Real Betis: 6-1
Draw: 4-1
Barcelona: 2-5
Via Oddschecker.com.
Preview
Fresh from beating Lyon 5-1 on Wednesday to advance to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, Barca move their attentions back to La Liga on Sunday hoping to continue their march to the title unimpeded.
Not including the 1-0 Catalan Super Cup loss to Girona, the Blaugrana are unbeaten in 12 games in all contests, with Lionel Messi flying high on the back of three goals and three assists in his last two matches.
He netted a brace and created two more in the midweek mauling of Lyon (U.S. only):
Bleacher Report Live @brliveA day after Cristiano Ronaldo's dramatic hat trick, Lionel Messi tallied 2 goals and 2 assists to lead Barcelona to the #UCL quarterfinals 🤩 Watch every big moment from Wednesday with the Champions League Highlight Show on #BRLive: https://t.co/f5E25hfsd8 https://t.co/FVstpl7xXo
The Argentinian has scored 36 times in as many appearances this season and has stood out in Europe, per Squawka:
Betis beat Barcelona in back-to-back La Liga fixtures in 2002 but have never done the league double over Sunday's visitors in the same season. The tougher portion of that challenge was completed in November when they edged 10-man Barca in Catalonia, where a Messi brace couldn't save the hosts from defeat.
That loss came amid Barca's worst run of results this season when they managed to win just three times in nine games, a disappointing stretch that also included a 2-1 defeat at Leganes.
But Valverde's men have recovered and are riding a four-win league run coming to Seville.
Graham Hunter appeared on Eleven Sports prior to Barca's win over Lyon and predicted Betis' extra respite could be a factor, however:
Los Verdiblancos have lost their last five encounters at home to Barcelona and last took points from the visiting team in May 2012.
Setien will consider it a boost that Ousmane Dembele was injured during the win over Lyon, an absence that sportswriter Muhammad Butt suggested could have been avoided:
As for notable names in the Betis lineup, former Real Madrid man Jese Rodriguez will have particular motivation to make his presence felt against his former Clasico rivals.
The winger moved back to La Liga in January after joining Betis on loan from Paris Saint-Germain, and he recently netted his first goal for the club in the form of a 1-0 winner against Celta Vigo:
Jese also made a fast start to life at his last loan outfit, Stoke City, where he scored on debut before quickly falling off their radar, a fate he could avoid by scoring in a match as big as this.
Betis' last home win was a 1-0 result over Atletico at the beginning of February, with Barcelona hoping not to fall victim to another giant-slaying in Sevilla.