Real Betis vs FC Porto — Tips & Analysis

Real Betis -0.25: Porto arrive with their back line in pieces, and that is the clearest reason to side with Betis. Jan Bednarek is suspended after his red card against Manchester City, and Joao Costa, Zaidu Sanusi, Vasco Sousa and William Gomes are all out. That is a lot of defence to rebuild away from home. Betis are a different team at La Cartuja. They have won their last five there and let in less than a goal a game in them. They come in off a 5-2 win over Osasuna, and their big nights keep turning into shootouts, including a 3-2 at Lille. Porto are the tidier side on paper. They have won 13 of their last 17 and let in less than a goal a game, and their games bring just over 2 goals. These clubs have never met, so there is no history for Porto to lean on in Seville. We expect Betis to get their noses in front and Porto, who score freely on their travels, to make the closing stages nervous. A 2-1 home win is the likeliest finish, and that is enough for us. The risk is real. Porto have lost only 3 of their last 17 and are more than good enough to sit in and nick this. Antony is a doubt for Betis and Junior Firpo is out, so the front line is unsettled. We still want the home side.