Analysis and prediction for Espanyol vs Real Betis: Antony's late finishing blow.

Latest team news for Espanyol vs Real Betis

Espanyol will continue to be without Brian Olivan due to a calf injury, while Jose Grangera is also unlikely to recover in time. Apart from these two cases, the home team has a nearly full squad.

Coach Gonzalez is likely to keep the same starting lineup for the match against Villarreal. Roberto Fernandez will continue to play as the lone striker, while Javi Puado will take on the winger role. Antoniu Roca is also likely to be in the starting lineup, while Pol Lozano and Jofre Carreras will remain on the bench.

On Real Betis' side, Ezequiel Avila, Marc Roca, and Diego Llorente are still recovering from injuries. However, they have not suffered any further injuries since the match against Fiorentina.

Coach Pellegrini will make some changes to rotate the squad. Jesus Rodriguez, Adrian, and Ricardo Rodriguez are likely to return to the starting lineup, while Cucho Hernandez could start in attack.

Nevertheless, the duo of Antony and Isco will continue to start, due to their high form and important roles in Real Betis' tactical system.

Latest predicted lineups for Espanyol vs Real Betis

Espanyol:
J Garcia; El Hilali, Kumbulla, Cabrera, Romero; Gonzalez, Kral; Roca, Exposito, Puado; R Fernandez

Real Betis:
Adrian; Sabaly, Bartra, Natan, Rodriguez; Cardoso, Fornals; Antony, Isco, J Rodriguez; Hernandez

Latest football match prediction for Espanyol vs Real Betis.

Espanyol entered this match after a 0-1 defeat to Villarreal – their first La Liga loss since mid-March, following a positive run of form with three wins in their last five matches.

The Catalan team currently sits 13th in the league table with 40 points, just 3 points behind Real Sociedad in 10th place and 7 points clear of the relegation zone as the season enters its final stages – a fairly safe distance at this point.

After securing promotion back to La Liga through the Segunda Division play-offs for the 2023-24 season, Espanyol's top priority is avoiding relegation, and finishing anywhere above 17th place would be considered a success.

Espanyol have lost to Real Betis in both of their last two La Liga encounters, including a 0-1 defeat in the first leg of this season. However, the last time they hosted their rivals in Catalonia in January 2023, they won 1-0.

Coach Manolo Gonzalez's team also has a physical advantage over their opponents, as Betis had just played in a European competition on Thursday – the first leg of the Conference League semi-final.

Real Betis secured a 2-1 victory against Fiorentina thanks to goals from Abde Ezzalzouli and Antony, giving them an advantage going into the second leg in Italy.

Back in La Liga, Manuel Pellegrini's team also just had a crushing 5-1 victory against Real Valladolid, thus maintaining their 6th position with 54 points – just one point behind Villarreal and still having a chance to compete for a Champions League spot as there are 5 spots available in next season's competition.

Betis have earned 22 points from 16 away games this season, including a 4-1 victory over Espanyol at their home ground in January 2022.

Isco has been a standout performer for Real Betis, scoring 11 goals and providing 7 assists in 26 games. Antony – on loan from Manchester United – is also playing very well, with 6 goals and 4 assists in 19 games since January.

Latest Espanyol vs Real Betis score prediction

Based on the above football analysis, we and leading football websites worldwide have provided our predictions for the match.Espanyol vs Real Betisas follows:

• Sportsmole:Espanyol 1-2 Real Betis

• WhoScore:Espanyol 2-3 Real Betis
• Our newspaper predicts:Espanyol 1-2 Real Betis

When and where can I watch Espanyol vs Real Betis live?

To watch the Espanyol vs Real Betis match live in La Liga at 11:30 PM on May 4th, viewers can tune in to the following channels:K+ Sport,K+PMor online sports channels. We hope you enjoy watching football.