Real Betis vs Utrecht Prediction: Antony on target in clean sheet success for Los Verdiblancos

Real Betis will be looking to maintain their unbeaten start in the league phase of the 2025/26 Uefa Europa League on Thursday (20:00 GMT, TNT Sports 7) when they welcome a winless Utrecht side to the Estadio de La Cartuja. The Spaniards have won two and drawn two of their first four games, while their Dutch counterparts lost their opening three before stopping the rot with a 1-1 draw against FC Porto last time out.

Below are my Real Betis vs FC Utrecht predictions, accompanied by all the latest team news and match odds.

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Team News

Real Betis goalkeeper Pau Lopez misses out again with a muscle injury, but other than the Spaniard, head coach Manuel Pellegrini has a full complement to choose from on Thursday.

The likes of Sofyan Amrabat, Isco and Abde Ezzalzouli could all earn starts after coming off the bench in Sunday's 1-1 La Liga home draw with Girona.

Antony, who was sent off on the weekend, should keep his starting spot as he will be banned for his side's derby with Sevilla this Sunday.

Football Odds

Greek shot-stopper Vasilis Barkas is suspended for Utrecht after he was sent off in the stalemate with Porto earlier this month, so Michael Brouwer will deputise between the sticks in Sevilla.

Emirhan Demircan was left out of the club's Europa League squad, while Niklas Vesterlund is nursing a knee injury.

Real Betis vs Utrecht Odds

Betis are 1/3 to claim all three points on Thursday, implying a 75% probability of success, with Utrecht 15/2, or an 11.8% chance to win, and the draw priced at 18/5.

Anytime Goalscorer - Antony (BET) @ 11/8

Seeing as he will be suspended for Sunday's Sevilla derby, I'm expecting Antony to start and possibly play the full game against Utrecht, which makes him an attractive option in the Anytime Goalscorer market.

The 25-year-old, who joined Betis permanently from Manchester United during the summer after a successful half-season loan spell earlier this year, has made a positive start to the 2025/26 campaign, scoring six goals in 12 appearances.

Today's Football Fixtures

Antony has struck four times in nine La Liga games and twice in three Europa League matches. Both of his strikes in Europe have come on home soil, in a 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest on September 24 and a 2-0 victory over Olympique Lyonnais on November 6.

The Brazilian bagged a La Liga brace in a 3-0 win against Real Mallorca on November 2, meaning he has three goals in his last two home games, and four for the season at the Estadio de La Cartuja.

Utrecht are yet to keep a clean sheet in this season's league phase, and haven't recorded a shutout in their last six away matches across all competitions, so Antony will be sensing an opportunity to add to his six-goal haul on Thursday.

To Win to Nil - Real Betis @ 6/5

Despite playing away from their usual base at the Estadio Benito Villamarin, which is currently undergoing a huge redevelopment, Betis are proving a tough nut to crack at 'home' this season, losing just two of their nine games at La Cartuja, with both defeats coming against Uefa Champions League sides, Athletic Club (1-2) and Atletico Madrid (0-2).

Pellegrini's side have won five times at La Cartuja, keeping clean sheets in four of those victories, including their latest European home game against Lyon, which ended in a 2-0 success.

Granted, Girona held Los Verdiblancos to a 1-1 draw there last Sunday, but I'm expecting Betis to raise their level in the Europa League on Thursday, and Utrecht are unlikely to provide much opposition.

The Dutch side lost their first three league phase games, failing to score in defeats to Lyon (0-1), Brann (1-0) and SC Freiburg (2-0), before breaking their barren run in a 1-1 home draw with Porto.

To their credit, Ron Jans' side are unbeaten in their last four matches across all competitions (W2, D2), but they haven't triumphed on their travels since August 31, losing five and drawing one of their last six away games and blanking in three of those defeats.

I've got this down as a comfortable home win for Betis, who should be able to keep a clean sheet in the process.