After winning in Malaga last Monday, the Béticos hope to close the year with their second consecutive victory against the irregular Athletic Club de Bilbao in the match that ends 2017 for both teams, corresponding to day 17 of the Santander League. Real Betis was repeating the collapse of what was his coach’s last team last season. The Sevillian team gave the bell by winning 1-0 to Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium on Matchday 5, reaching its best moment in a decade in the following days. However, the team had not won for several weeks until the game in Malaga, losing positions in the table and being eliminated by the Cadiz in the Copa del Rey. Despite everything, with 21 points in 16 games, the Seville team is 11th, with a balance of 6 wins, 3 draws and 7 losses.
Apart from the signing of Quique Setién, six were the main reinforcements of the Seville team last summer market, spending 17 million euros on the hiring of midfielder Víctor Camarasa (for which he pays 7 million to Levante); the winger Cristian Tello (signed to FC Barcelona in exchange for 4 million); forward Sergio León, who returns to his home from Osasuna for 3.5 million; defenses Jordi Amat and Antonio Barragán, donated by English clubs; the Mexican pivot Andres Guardado, for which he has paid 2.5 million euros to PSV Eindhoven; the Algerian midfielder Ryad Boudebouz, signed to Montpellier for 7 million euros; and former Real Madrid player Javi García, signed by Zenit in exchange for 1.5 million. Undoubtedly, the biggest Betic loss in this summer market has been the departure of the great pearl of the quarry, Dani Ceballos, transferred to Real Madrid in exchange for 17 million euros which, together with the sale of Piccini Sporting CP (3 millions); the one from Petros to Sao Paulo (2.5 million); and those of Portillo, Bruno and Dani Pacheco al Getafe (3.1 million pay the blues in total for the three) left in box 25.6 million euros.
The rojiblanco team has lost 4 of the last 6 league games.
Eleven Probable: Adam – Montoya, Mandi, Feddal, Durmisi – Javi Garcia, Camarasa, Guardado – Joaquín, Nahuel Leiva, Sergio León.
Athletic Bilbao remain in the bottom of the table, occupying the 14th position in the table after adding 18 points in 16 games.
The team from Vizcaya misses Ernesto Valverde, with whom he finished last season occupying the 7th position in the Santander League. The victory of FC Barcelona in the final of the Copa del Rey ended up getting into the Europa League this season, having had an outstanding participation last year.
The Basque team, one of the three Spanish clubs to have never lost the category (the others are two are Real Madrid and FC Barcelona) has a budget of 171.7 million euros for this campaign. The march of Ernesto Valverde to FC Barcelona prompted the promotion of Ziganda from the branch team, with the change in the bench being the main novelty, together with the return of several of the players who acted on loan last season (Herrerín, Kike Sola, Iriondo, Ager Aketxe, Vesga …).
Qualified to play the 1/16 finals of the Europa League, the elimination against Formentera of Second Division B did a lot of damage to the Lions, who added 4 draws and one victory in the last 5 league matches.
Eleven Probable: Kepa – Laporte, Etxeita, Balenziaga, De Marcos – Etxebarría, Vesga, Susaeta, Raúl García – Williams, Aduriz.
In the last 43 direct duels, equality is maximum with 14 wins for each and 15 draws. The Lions have won 2 of the last 4 games played in Sevilla and seeing the moment of both, it is possible that they can score, drawing a draw that none will be worth.
Prediction Today:
Draw 3.30
