One of the standout matches on the opening weekend of the 2023-24 La Liga campaign will take place at Estadio de la Ceramica on Sunday evening, with Villarreal welcoming Real Betis.
The home side finished fifth in Spain's top flight last season on 64 points, four points ahead of sixth-placed Real Betis, and both teams will again be targeting European spots in the coming season.
Match preview
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Villarreal have not managed to claim a top-four spot in La Liga since 2016, but they enjoyed an impressive 2022-23 campaign, finishing fifth in the table to qualify for the group stage of the Europa League.
The Yellow Submarine will certainly believe that they are strong enough to finish ahead of the likes of Real Sociedad and Real Betis this season, and it is set to be another fascinating battle for the top four, with one spot arguably open once again behind Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.
Villarreal only actually won one of their seven friendlies over the summer and were on the end of a 4-0 loss to Newcastle United in their final pre-season match last weekend.
Not too much can be read into pre-season form, though, and Quique Setien's side have managed to boost their squad with a number of exciting signings this summer, including Alexander Sorloth, Ben Brereton Diaz, Denis Suarez and Ilias Akhomach.
There have been some key exits, though, with Nicolas Jackson, Pau Torres and Samuel Chukwueze among those to move on, so there will be a fresh look to the side this season.
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Real Betis, meanwhile, also found it difficult to secure positive results during their preparations for the new campaign, only winning one of their six matches.
Manuel Pellegrini's side will enter this game off the back of successive losses to Sevilla and Real Sociedad, but the real business begins this weekend, and the Seville-based outfit will be expecting to finish in the top six once again, which has been the case in the last three seasons.
The Green and Whites were four points behind fifth-placed Villarreal last term but seven clear of Osasuna in seventh, so they qualified for the group stage of the Europa League in relatively comfortable fashion.
Real Betis have managed to bring in seven new players this summer, with Hector Bellerin, Ayoze Perez, Marc Bartra, Alex Collado, Marc Roca, Chadi Riad and Isco all moving to the club.
El Glorioso took four points off Villarreal in the league last season, including a 1-1 draw in the corresponding contest, but both sides have posted two wins in their last five meetings.
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Team News
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Villarreal remain without the services of two first-team players through injury, with Raul Albiol and Francis Coquelin on the sidelines with long-term knee problems.
There are expected to be debutants in the home side's XI on Sunday, with Sorloth set to feature in the final third of the field, while Ramon Terrats and Matteo Gabbia could also start.
Gerard Moreno is expected to be included in the team, while Yeremy Pino should also play in an advanced area, which could leave the likes of Brereton Diaz and Akhomach on the bench.
Real Betis, meanwhile, will be missing William Carvalho due to a calf problem; Nabil Fekir is also still on the sidelines for the Greens due to a long-term knee injury.
Head coach Pellegrini will be reluctant to introduce a host of his new signings straight into the XI, but Perez was with the team last season on loan, while Bellerin and Bartra are familiar with the club.
Roca could benefit from Carvalho's absence to play in central midfield, while Bellerin, Bartra and Perez are in line for positions in the first XI.
There have been some notable departures at the club this summer, with Sergio Canales, Edgar Gonzalez, Joaquin and Victor Ruiz among those to move on.
Villarreal possible starting lineup:
Jorgensen; Foyth, Gabbia, Mandi, Cuenca; Terrats, Parejo, Baena; Pino, Sorloth, G Moreno
Real Betis possible starting lineup:
Bravo; Bellerin, Pezzella, Bartra, Abner; Rodriguez, Roca; Rodri, Juanmi, Perez; Iglesias
We say: Villarreal 2-2 Real Betis
There will be a host of new signings on display in this match, which certainly increases the excitement surrounding the fixture. It would not be a surprise to see a home or an away victory, but we have a feeling that an entertaining match will end with the points being shared.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Matt Law
