Real Betis travel to the Nuevo Estadio Ramon de Carranza to take on Cadiz on Sunday, as they look to break into the top six of the La Liga table.
Betis have won three of their last four games in league action, while the hosts will be looking for a first La Liga victory in seven matches.
Match preview
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Despite their poor recent form, Cadiz secured an impressive result last time out when they drew 1-1 with Barcelona at the Camp Nou.
Lionel Messi put the Spanish giants ahead from the penalty spot after half an hour, but Alvaro Cervera's side kept themselves in the game despite immense pressure, and they won a penalty of their own in the dying minutes which Alex Fernandez converted to snatch a point for his side.
That draw put an end to a four-match losing run in the league for Cadiz, which saw them slip closer to the relegation zone, now sitting just four points ahead of Real Valladolid and Elche, who occupy two of the spots in the bottom three.
Their recent struggles have largely been down to a poor defensive record, with only one side in La Liga conceding more than the 40 goals that Cervera's side have shipped so far this campaign.
He will be hoping to channel more of the defensive resilience which led his side to the draw with Barcelona as they look to move back up the table and away from the bottom three in order to avoid immediate relegation down to the second tier after their promotion last season.
They face a very tough test on Sunday though, as they host a Real Betis side with their sights set on the top six.
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Last time out, Real Betis secured an important 1-0 win at home to 15th-placed Getafe, when Borja Iglesias scored a penalty in the 84th minute.
Betis midfielder William Carvalho was shown a red card in added time at the end of the game, but Los Verdiblancos held on to secure a crucial three points.
That was their second consecutive win, after Manuel Pellegrini's side previously beat sixth-placed Villarreal 2-1 away from home, with Nabil Fekir and Emerson putting them two goals ahead before Gerard Moreno scored a penalty for the hosts to reduce the deficit to one goal.
Because of that result and their recent good form, Los Beticos now sit just one point behind Villarreal in sixth, meaning a win on Sunday could move them into a much better position to achieve European qualification for next season.
Cadiz La Liga form: DLLLLD
Real Betis La Liga form: WDWLLW
Real Betis form (all competitions): WWLLLW
Team News
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Cadiz will be without right-back Carlos Akapo, who remains out with a knee injury.
However, they were recently boosted by the return of experienced midfielder Jose Mari, who came off the bench against Barcelona after a lengthy spell out with injury.
Their line will be led by Alvaro Negredo, who has bagged six goals and registered three assists in La Liga action this season.
Real Betis are expected to be without Nabil Fekir, who was forced off with injury after just 10 minutes last time out against Getafe.
Borja Iglesias could also miss this game, after he was said to have picked up a muscle injury.
Marc Bartra will join them on the sidelines, with the defender still carrying a foot injury.
The Betis ranks took another hit when William Carvalho was shown a red card late on in the Getafe victory, and the midfielder will miss this game through suspension.
Cadiz possible starting lineup:
Ledesma; Carcelen, Alcala, Mauro, Espino; Salvi, Garrido, Fali, Perea; Negredo, Lozano
Real Betis possible starting lineup:
Robles; Emerson, Mandi, Sidnei, Gonzalez; Rodriguez, Guardado; Ruibal, Canales, Juanmi; Garcia
We say: Cadiz 0-2 Real Betis
Despite a weakened squad and the resilience Cadiz showed to draw against Barcelona, we see Real Betis outclassing their opponents in this game, picking up another victory as they continue to strengthen their bid for a place in the top six.
Top tip
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Real Betis win with a probability of 51.7%. A draw had a probability of 26.3% and a win for Cadiz had a probability of 22%.
The most likely scoreline for a Real Betis win was 0-1 with a probability of 14.09%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 0-2 (10.47%) and 1-2 (9.11%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (12.25%), while for a Cadiz win it was 1-0 (8.24%). The actual scoreline of 0-1 was predicted with a 14.1% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted a 0-1 win for Real Betis in this match.
