Match: Europa League
Teams: Real Betis VS Nottingham Forest
Kick-off Time: 21:00 on September 24
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Handicap Prediction:
Nottingham Forest +0.25 (Asian Handicap)
Draw + Away Win (European Odds)
Predicted Scores: 0-0, 0-1, 1-1
Predicted Total Goals: 0, 1, 2
Comprehensive Prediction Analysis:
In last Saturday's league match, the team defeated Real Sociedad 3-1 at home. Throughout the game, Betis had 21 shots, with 6 on target, while Real Sociedad only managed 11 shots, 5 of which were on target. Not only were they behind in statistics, but Real Sociedad also showed no fighting spirit in the second half. The team's new coach seems not to have the support of the players, so they should not be overestimated before a coaching change. With this victory, Real Betis ranks 7th in the league with 2 wins, 3 draws and 1 loss. Last season, Betis reached the final of the Europa Conference League, eventually losing 1-4 to Chelsea. There is no doubt about the team's desire to compete in European competitions, and coach Manuel Pellegrini also has rich experience in European competitions. However, their performance in the new season is still unconvincing. Except for the recent victory over the demoralized Real Sociedad, in the first 5 rounds of the league, they drew with Elche, Celta Vigo, Levante, lost to Athletic Bilbao, and defeated Alavés. The team is still far from its best form. One of the two core players, Isco, is still sidelined due to injury, while Anthony has gone through a long summer transfer saga and has only played two games for the team this season. It seems that it will take some time for the team to regain last season's momentum.
Nottingham Forest finished 7th in the Premier League last season and qualified for the Europa Conference League. The club sacked manager Nuno after three league games at the start of the new season. The reason for Nuno's dismissal is simple: he had a falling-out with owner Evangelos Marinakis. The main reason is that the owner disliked Nuno's coaching style. Another reason is that the owner hopes to achieve some results in the Europa League. Therefore, they hired Ange Postecoglou, the coach who led Tottenham to win the Europa League last season. Although Postecoglou's team finished at the bottom of the league last season, winning the Europa League made Marinakis highly appreciate him. The signings in the summer window also show that the coaching change was not an impulsive decision after the start of the new season. Nottingham Forest were very active in the summer transfer window. They only lost one key player, Anthony Elanga, but signed a group of tough players. There are 4 players with transfer fees exceeding 30 million euros, including Bologna forward Lois Openda, Rennes forward Karim Adeyemi, Strasbourg forward Habib Diallo and Ipswich Town midfielder Jack Harrison. Without exception, they are all attacking players. Would Nuno, with his style, use so many forwards? It is obvious that the coaching change was premeditated rather than a sudden decision. Postecoglou has led the team in 3 games with 2 losses and 1 draw, including a stoppage-time comeback defeat by Swansea in the EFL Cup. At present, the team is still far from meeting Postecoglou's standards, but the team's style is gradually taking on the new coach's mark. Except for the first game against Arsenal with only 5 shots, the team had 17 shots in each of the next two games, while Nuno's team only had 30 shots in 3 games. For Forest, thanks to the crazy signings in the summer window, they can field a strong lineup even in dual competitions. Postecoglou said in an interview before the game: “Forest's qualification for European competitions is a reward for dreamers. The team's journey has been incredible. I also said when I was at Celtic that when a club has stars embroidered on its badge, it is very special, because the only way to get stars is to win European trophies. This can't be bought with money; you have to earn it with strength.”
Summary:
In recent years, except for Barcelona and Real Madrid, other La Liga teams have found it difficult to gain an advantage against Premier League teams. In terms of Asian Handicap, this game offers the home team Real Betis a -0.25 handicap, which generally shows that the institutions have given certain recognition to Betis' recent performance. However, facing the tough-style Nottingham Forest, they may not gain much advantage on the field. Overall, both Betis and Forest are highly motivated in this game, so strength will speak for itself. It is expected that the strong Nottingham Forest will get a positive result away from home.
