Real Betis vs Lyon
Lyon aim to maintain their 100-per cent record in Europe this season when they visit Real Betis at the Estadio La Cartuja on Thursday evening. Paulo Fonseca’s men have started well in this competition with three wins on the bounce against Utrecht, RB Salzburg, and Basel to join Braga and Midtjylland at the top of the Europa League standings.
However, while they’ve been perfect in Europe so far, Lyon have been more inconsistent in Ligue 1. Les Gones currently sit sixth in the French top-flight with 20 points from 11 games (W6, D2, L3), and they’re coming off back-to-back draws against Paris FC (3-3) and Brest (0-0).
Meanwhile, Real Betis are 16th in the Europa League standings with five points from the first three matches (W1, D2). Manuel Pellegrini’s side is coming off a 3-0 win against Mallorca in their most recent La Liga contest.
Talking Points
Real Betis’ defensive depth will be tested
Real Betis will be without two of their top full-backs against Lyon. Ricardo Rodriguez left the game against Mallorca earlier than expected after sustaining a leg injury, and he’s a doubt for this encounter. Junior Firpo continues to recover from a hamstring injury, and first-choice goalie Pau Lopez is out for the foreseeable future after sustaining a ruptured plantar fascia tendon in his right leg.
The Real Betis medical staff have opted for conservative treatment rather than surgery, so there’s a huge chance that Lopez could be sidelined until next year. In the meantime, Alvaro Valles will be the man between the sticks, as he has already done this season.
It’s not all that bad for Los Verdiblancos, as their offence is humming along. Since their 2-0 defeat against Atletico Madrid, they have scored 10 goals while conceding only one against Palma del Rio and Mallorca. This is impressive considering they’ve been without influential playmaker Isco.
Antony has been one of Real Betis’ catalysts this season, contributing five goals and two assists in nine appearances. The former Manchester United winger almost had a hat-trick against Mallorca, and he’s expected to lead the frontline alongside Giovanni Lo Celso, Abde Ezzalzouli, and Cucho Hernandez.
Lyon are short up front
Lyon will also miss a handful of key players on Thursday. Orel Mangala and Ernest Nuamah remain long-term absentees due to their knee injuries. Malick Fofana is ruled out with an ankle sprain, and Tanner Tessmann is listed as a doubt after he played only 15 minutes in the draw against Brest.
Les Gones’ last two games have seen them lose players to red cards, raising questions over composure heading into La Cartuja. However, fortunately for them, Haris Hateboer and Abner Vinicius’ suspensions don’t apply in Europe.
Moreover, Lyon will need big performances from Pavel Sulc and Corentin Tolisso to stay perfect in the Europa League this week. The dynamic duo has combined for eight league goals so far this season.
History
Thursday marks only the third competitive meeting between Los Verdiblancos and Les Gones. These two teams last faced off in the 2013-14 Europa League group stage, where they shared the spoils in a goalless draw during the first game, and Lyon won 1-0 in the reverse fixture.
With 12 points, Lyon eventually took the top spot in Group I, while Real Betis finished second with nine points. Both advanced to the knockout phase, with Lyon reaching the quarter-finals before losing to Juventus, and Real Betis losing to Sevilla in the Round of 16. Sevilla eventually won it all after beating Benfica in the final via penalties.
After a runner-up finish in the Europa Conference League final last term, Real Betis will be hungry to push deeper this time. Los Verdiblancos have lost only one of their last 11 matches across all competitions.
Betting Tip
The Europa League 2025 odds expect an all-out fight between Real Betis and Lyon. Because they’re playing at home, Real Betis are 1.86 favourites, whereas Lyon are priced at 3.66 to win, and a draw is at 3.45 in the 1X2 market. Both sides are capable of producing Europa League 2025 highlights, but Los Verdiblancos are likely to score more, given their recent form. However, don’t be surprised if this could go either way.
Besides our recommended bet, SBOTOP bettors can also add Over 2.50 at 1.76 and Over 2.75 at 1.96 to the parlay. However, if you fancy a low-scoring affair, then check out the Correct Score of 1-0 in favour of Les Gones – the result of their last Europa League encounter – as it is on offer at 12.50.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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