Real Betis will be aiming to stretch their winning run across all competitions to four matches when they play host to Celta Vigo in La Liga on Wednesday evening.
In contrast, the visiting party are out to end a three-game winless run after being thrashed 4-0 by Villarreal in their most recent outing.
Match preview
Having managed to return to winning ways in La Liga with a 2-0 win at basement side Huesca, Real Betis looked to keep their Copa del Rey dream alive when they travelled to second-tier side Sporting Gijon on Sunday evening.
Manuel Pellegrini's side needed no second invitation to book their spot in the last 16 with a comfortable 2-0 win in that fixture, with two quickfire goals from Sergio Canales and Rodri putting the game to bed before half time.
Real Betis have made an impressive start to the New Year with three wins and one draw from their opening four matches in all competitions, although they have plenty of ground to make up on the teams above them if their slim hopes of a European berth are to stay alive.
Los Verdiblancos are in mid-table obscurity as they lie 10th in the table at this moment in time - seven points adrift of sixth-placed Sevilla, who play on Tuesday - and Pellegrini will be aiming to extend his own unbeaten run against Celta Vigo to five matches when Wednesday's game takes place.
While Real Betis have managed to string a set of three wins together, Celta Vigo are currently enduring a three-game losing streak after humbling defeats to Real Madrid, Ibiza and Villarreal so far in 2021.
Eduardo Coudet's men have shipped 13 goals in those fixtures and were simply brushed aside by Villarreal last time out, with Gerard Moreno, Moi Gomez, Fer Nino and Dani Parejo all breaching the Celta defence within the first 35 minutes.
It is unsurprising that Celta's dip in form coincides with the loss of influential striker Iago Aspas, who scored nine goals and set up six more for this week's visitors before sustaining a thigh problem, which is likely to rule him out for the rest of the month.
As things stand, eighth-placed Celta and 10th-placed Betis are both level on 23 points - with Cadiz sandwiched in between the two European outsiders - and the Aspas-less visitors will not be feeling all that optimistic having won just one of their last 19 top-flight fixtures without the Spanish striker.
Furthermore, the hosts have only suffered one defeat in their last 10 La Liga outings with Celta, who have failed to keep a clean sheet against Real Betis since April 2006.
Real Betis La Liga form: DLWLDW
Real Betis form (all competitions): WLDWWW
Celta Vigo La Liga form: WWDWLL
Celta Vigo form (all competitions): WDWLLL
Team News
Real Betis midfielder Paul Akouokou played the full 90 minutes against Sporting Gijon but will miss out here after being sent off in the win over Huesca.
Andres Guardado is the most likely candidate to take his place with William Carvalho - who has been linked with a move to West Bromwich Albion - still out with a muscular problem.
Nabil Fekir, Loren Moron and Aissa Mandi are all among those expected to come back in for this hugely important top-flight fixture.
As mentioned, Celta will have to make do without Aspas for a little while longer, but Renato Tapia returns from a ban and should displace Okay Yokuslu in the holding midfield role.
Nolito was an unused substitute against Villarreal but is expected return to the left-hand side here, and the injured David Junca is closing in on a return to action, but this game will likely come too soon for him.
Real Betis possible starting lineup:
Bravo; Emerson, Mandi, Ruiz, Moreno; Canales, Guardado; Lainez, Fekir, Tello; Moron
Celta Vigo possible starting lineup:
Blanco; Mallo, Murillo, Araujo, Olaza; Tapia; Beltran, Suarez, Nolito; Mina, Mendez
We say: Real Betis 2-1 Celta Vigo
Having shipped nine goals in their last two matches, Celta's defence could be in for a rough ride against an in-form Real Betis outfit. It is difficult to see where the goals might come from for the visitors with Aspas out and Nolito regaining full fitness, so we think Pellegrini's men will leapfrog their opponents with a narrow win on home soil.
