Real Betis vs Rayo Vallecano
Real Betis’ chase for their first silverware in more than a decade is well and alive here at the Copa del Rey. Out of the last four clubs, Los Verdiblancos look to be the strongest side on paper especially when taken into account their recent form.
They hold a 2-1 aggregate lead over Rayo Vallecano as they defeated them at the Estadio de Vallecas more than two weeks ago. And on Thursday night when the venue shifts at Benito Villamarin, they can claim their spot at the final where they’ll face either Valencia or Athletic Bilbao.
The pre-match SBOTOP betting odds are backing Real Betis to finish the job, but they shouldn’t let their guard down against a team with seemingly nothing to lose.
If their last La Liga match provides any indication, it is that Rayo Vallecano aren’t going down without putting up a fight.
Talking Points
Real Betis smarting from derby defeat
Real Betis are eager to bounce back from their El Gran Derbi defeat against Sevilla yesterday.
Sevilla were in control from the beginning which resulted to two first-half goals from Ivan Rakitic and Munir El Haddadi. Sergio Canales scored a late goal for Los Verdiblancos with a nifty free kick in stoppage time, but the game was essentially over even before that.
Los Verdiblancos had a two-game winning streak prior to the said match and they were honing in on the second spot at the La Liga table, but Sevilla proved to be the better squad as they were hard to shake off.
Another key reason as to why Real Betis lost is that they were without their star striker in Juanmi – with 14 goals and one assist – since he was given the day off.
Borja Iglesias, who’s their second-leading scorer with 10 goals and one assist, took the lead role alongside their other usual protagonists in Nabil Fekir and Sergio Canales.
Assuming that Juanmi is 100-per cent fit, Manuel Pellegrini is expected to hand him back his main starting striker role on Thursday. Aitor Ruibal and Hector Bellerin are also going to be recalled after coming off the bench during the El Gran Derbi.
Rayo Vallecano’s downward spiral continues
Rayo Vallecano were another team whose morale was crushed last weekend as they lost to Real Madrid with no thanks to a late goal by Karim Benzema.
Los Vallecans’ defence held up pretty well for the most part up until the 83rd-minute. But again, it’s their lack of cutting edge in the final third that has doomed them.
They had 19 total shots compared to Real Madrid’s 13, so it isn’t to say that they were bereft of opportunities to try and get their first win for 2022.
Radamel Falcao and Randy Nteka both came off the bench in the said fixture, so Andoni Iraola is likely to bring them back into the starting lineup to link up with top scorer Alvaro Garcia Rivera once more.
History
The recent head-to-heads between Real Betis and Rayo Vallecano have been close. Los Verdiblancos own the slight edge with eight wins while Los Vallecans won seven times along with nine draws.
In the first leg of this semi-final tie, Rayo Vallecano had a dream start when Alvaro Garcia Rivera gave them the one-goal lead five minutes in, only to concede two goals from Borja Iglesias and William Carvalho.
As far as the history of the Copa del Rey is concerned, Real Betis have fared better historically compared to Rayo Vallecano.
Los Verdiblancos are four-time Copa del Rey finalists with two trophies to show for it, and their most recent win was in 2004/05 when they defeated Osasuna 2-1 in the final.
Meanwhile, Rayo Vallecano have never made it to as far as the final of this competition.
Betting Tip
The Copa del Rey 2022 odds expect Real Betis to advance. Los Verdiblancos are priced to win at 1.78, while Los Vallecans are pegged at 4.00 and a draw after 90 minutes is at 3.70 in the 1X2 market.
With all the weapons that they have, Real Betis should be able to get behind the driver’s wheel from the get-go – which is in stark contrast to what happened in the first leg where they started off on the wrong foot.
Real Betis are likely to provide the Copa del Rey 2022 highlights for this contest, but it’s unlikely that they’ll secure a clean sheet – making Total Goal 2-3 @ 1.84 a viable alternative bet.
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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