Matchday 20 of the La Liga season between Real Betis Balompie and Villarreal Club de Futbol will take place on 17 January at the Olympic Stadium in Seville. Real Betis Balompie vs Villarreal Club de Futbol: prediction, betting odds and statistics.
Real Betis Balompie
The club’s last league match ended in an away draw against Real Oviedo (1:1), who sit 20th in the standings. As a result, Real Betis Balompie remain without a win from their first two La Liga games of 2026. Earlier, the Seville outfit were thrashed by Real Madrid (1:5). However, since the start of the current La Liga campaign, the team have suffered only four defeats. Moreover, Manuel Pellegrini’s men have lost exclusively to sides in the top eight. It is worth noting that Real Betis Balompie share the tag of the division’s most draw-prone team, with eight of their 19 matches ending level. The club remain sixth in the table and are five points adrift of the top five.
- Real Betis Balompie have scored in eight of their last nine La Liga matches.
- At least two goals have been scored in 16 of the club’s previous 17 La Liga games.
- The Seville side have not conceded more than once in seven of their last nine matches in this competition.
Potential Real Betis Balompie Lineup (4-4-2)*
Alvaro Valles – Junior Firpo, Marc Bartra, Diego Gomez, Angel Ortiz – Giovani Lo Celso, Marc Roca, Pablo Fornals, Aitor Ruibal – Cucho Hernandez, Antony.
Midfielders Sofyan Amrabat and Abde Ezzalzouli continue to play at the Africa Cup of Nations. Due to fitness issues, midfielder Isco, forward Cucho Hernandez and defender Junior Firpo will not be ready for the match.
Villarreal Club de Futbol
It seems the defeat to Barcelona late last year did not unsettle the team at all. After seeing their winning run end, Villarreal Club de Futbol immediately started a new one. Following the league break, the club beat Elche and Alaves in succession, both by a 3:1 scoreline. That run has taken the Yellow Submarine back into the top three and moved them three points clear of Atletico Madrid, with a game in hand. Across their last nine La Liga matches, Villarreal Club de Futbol have eight wins and that lone defeat, which came in a home clash against Barcelona (0:2). It is also worth noting that in the current La Liga campaign, the team have conceded just 17 goals in total – the best record alongside Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.
- The club have scored in six consecutive away matches in La Liga.
- Villarreal Club de Futbol’s no-draw away run in this competition stands at seven matches (five wins, two defeats).
- Since the start of the current La Liga season, the Yellow Submarine have scored 37 goals in total, with only two teams netting more.
Potential Villarreal Club de Futbol Lineup (4-4-2)*
Luis Junior – Juan Foyth, Alfonso Pedraza, Renato Veiga, Santiago Mourino – Tajon Buchanan, Daniel Parejo, Santi Comesana, Alberto Moleiro – Ayoze Perez, Georges Mikautadze.
Midfielders Pape Gueye and Ilias Akhomach are unavailable due to their participation at the Africa Cup of Nations. Because of injuries, defenders Logan Costa and Willy Kambwala, as well as forward Pau Cabanes, will also miss out.
Referee
Victor Garcia (Spain)
Matches – 10 (La Liga, 2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 27;
Average yellow cards per match – 2.7;
Red cards shown – 0;
Fouls per match on average – 22;
Penalties – 10%.
Real Betis Balompie vs Villarreal Club de Futbol: Match Prediction
Real Betis Balompie remain as inconsistent as ever. On the one hand, the club have lost only four of their 19 matches in the first half of the La Liga season. Moreover, the Seville side have been beaten exclusively by teams representing Spain in the Champions League. At the same time, the team have recorded too many draws – even more than wins. Across their last eight La Liga matches, Real Betis Balompie have beaten only Getafe and Sevilla, both of whom sit in the bottom half of the table.
Villarreal Club de Futbol, by contrast, look far more assured. After the league break, the visitors have continued to impress with their consistency and deservedly remain among the frontrunners. The team have won eight of their last nine La Liga matches, with the only slip in that spell coming in December’s clash with the rampant Barcelona (0:2). Even away from home, the Yellow Submarine have stumbled just once in their last six league games, and their current winning run stands at four matches.
We should also add that Villarreal Club de Futbol have avoided defeat in five of their last six league meetings away to Real Betis Balompie (four wins, one draw).
Prediction: Villarreal Club de Futbol, double chance
* For each team, the starting XI listed is the one they fielded in their last match in this competition.
