Preview: Real Betis vs. Athletic Bilbao - prediction, team news, lineups

Arguably the weekend's standout clash in La Liga will take place at the Estadio Benito Villamarin on Sunday, as Real Betis entertain Athletic Bilbao.

Back-to-back defeats have seen the hosts drop out of the top four of the league table, while their visitors remain eighth, in hot pursuit of a place in the top six.

Match preview

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Real Betis enjoyed a particularly strong first half to the La Liga season, establishing themselves in the top three behind Real Madrid and Sevilla as they earned 33 points from their opening 17 games.

Manuel Pellegrini's side have since seen their grip on the top four weaken, though, as a result of a dip in their form recently, with Los Verdiblancos picking up just 13 points from the last 10 outings, and they head into Sunday on the back of consecutive defeats and without a win in five matches across all competitions.

That run has included a draw with Rayo Vallecano in the Copa del Rey semi-final, seeing them advance with a 3-2 aggregate win, but Pellegrini's side have also suffered league losses at the hands of Sevilla and Atletico Madrid before falling short against Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday.

They hosted the German side in the first leg of a round-of-16 tie, and, despite Nabil Fekir netting an equaliser, Los Verdiblancos eventually fell to a 2-1 loss, giving them work to do next Thursday in the reverse leg.

For now, the Seville outfit will turn their attention back to the domestic front as they look to bridge a two-point gap to fourth-placed Atletico Madrid.

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In their own bid for a top-six finish, Athletic Bilbao have somewhat struggled for consistency recently, although they will be relatively pleased with four victories from their last six league games, having lost the other two.

Following an eye-catching 4-0 thrashing of Real Sociedad, with Dani Vivian, Oihan Sancet, Inaki Williams and Iker Muniain on the scoresheet, Marcelino's men would fall to Barcelona by the same scoreline at the end of February, but they were able to bounce back last time out.

On the back of a Copa del Rey semi-final defeat to Valencia, Los Leones took on Levante in La Liga on Monday, and an injury-time goal for their visitors was the only blemish on a dominant victory as Williams again found the net alongside Mikel Vesga and Oier Zarraga.

With each of the three sides above them losing last time out, Marcelino's side have seen their situation in the top half majorly improved, and, with the chance to climb to seventh and within a point of their hosts, they will have their sights set on a second straight win.

Team News

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Real Betis remain without several players due to long-term injuries, as Martin Montoya, Alex Moreno and Victor Camarasa continue to be ruled out alongside Hector Bellerin.

Pellegrini has several options to choose from in attack, and Nabil Fekir should be a key man, having provided 10 goals and seven assists across all competitions this season.

Borja Iglesias is likely to lead the line, while Guido Rodriguez and William Carvalho should again anchor the midfield.

Athletic Bilbao have fewer injuries to deal with, although key centre-back Inigo Martinez is unlikely to feature on Sunday.

In his absence, Yeray Alvarez and Dani Vivian should again partner up at the heart of the defensive line, with Oscar de Marcos and Yuri Berchiche completing the back four.

Further forward, the experienced duo of Inaki Williams and captain Iker Muniain continue to be key players, boasting combined tallies of 12 goals and seven assists this season.

Real Betis possible starting lineup:
Silva; Sabaly, Bartra, Gonzalez, Miranda; Carvalho, Rodriguez; Fekir, Canales, Juanmi; Iglesias

Athletic Bilbao possible starting lineup:
Simon; De Marcos, Vivian, Alvarez, Berchiche; Berenguer, Vencedor, Vesga, Muniain; Sancet, Williams

We say: Real Betis 1-1 Athletic Bilbao

We predict a tight and cagey affair on Sunday as two strong sides do battle.

Ultimately, we cannot quite pick a winner as the hosts battle to avoid another defeat against a side in hot pursuit of their place.

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