Real Betis vs Rangers: Back Bears to bank a point in Spain

It’s the sixth and final round of games from the Europa League group campaign. Rangers visit Real Betis in a battle for pole position, and Betfred’s in-form tipster, Frank Monkhouse, previews the big game…

It’s the final round of fixtures from this season’s UEFA Europa League campaign, and there’s all to play for in Group C. Real Betis leads the pool after five games, but nothing has been decided yet, with just five points separating the leaders from bottom club Aris Limassol. Betis enjoy home advantage over second-place Rangers, with the winners of this game progressing to the knockout stages as pool leaders.

A second group win for Rangers over Real Betis would ensure they finish on top and wrap up what has been an interesting group campaign. Failure to clinch all three points in Spain could see Philippe Clement’s Gers exit the Europa League and drop into the Conference League if Sparta Prague does as expected and beats Limassol in the group’s other game. We’re all set for a nail-biting climax.

Team News

Real Betis was the early favourite to progress as winners of Group C when the draw was made, but they stumbled out of the starting blocks, losing on match day one in Glasgow. Despite that narrow reverse at Ibrox, the Serie A outfit bounced back and started game six in pole position, with their stats showing three wins against two defeats. They’re sitting pretty just now, but things could quickly turn sour for the Spaniards.

Betis lost 1-0 at Sparta Prague in their most recent Europa League start and have since played three domestic games. The home team finished goalless at Almeria, beat Villanovense 2-1 in the Copa del Rey, and ended 1-1 with Real Madrid on Saturday. The latter was a real feather in the cap for Betis, and the draw with Blancos provided a timely confidence boost ahead of Thursday’s make-or-break fixture.

Rangers Reborn

It has been a strange campaign for Rangers, who would’ve expected to have qualified by this stage. The Scots got off to the dream start by beating Real Betis at Ibrox on matchday one but then lost manager Michael Beale following the Englishman’s sacking. Northern Irish midfielder and Gers fans' favourite Steven Davis took the reigns in the short term, and he oversaw a disappointing defeat away to Limassol.

Rangers travel to Spain hoping to do the double over Betis and qualify for the knockout stages as pool winners. Their stats ahead of this decider show two wins, two draws, and that defeat with five goals scored and four conceded. Rangers are the lowest scorers in the pool but boast the joint-best defence. They are a team reborn under Belgian manager Clement. They hope to make it show by signing off with a monumental Europa League win in Spain before turning their attentions to Sunday’s League Cup final against Aberdeen at Hampden.

Real Betis vs Rangers Odds

The pre-match betting odds available at Betfred on Real Betis vs Rangers make for interesting reading and set the scene for a thrilling 90 minutes. Will Real Betis make their home advantage count to collect all three points, gain revenge over Rangers for that opening game defeat, and wrap up the group campaign in style? You can support the victory for Real Betis at 4/5, which is available on the Betfred app and website.

Perhaps you prefer to take a chance on Rangers to do the double over their Spanish hosts, following a 1-0 win at Ibrox with a victory on the road. Rangers are a better team under Clement than when Beale was in charge, and that will show on Thursday. You can bet on Rangers to win at 11/4 or follow our thinking and take the draw at a tempting 13/5.

Bet 1: Draw @ 13/5

With so much at stake on Thursday evening and the closeness of the first game involving Betis and Rangers at Ibrox, there’s value in playing the draw here. Both teams know the importance of winning the contest but can’t afford to adopt a gung-ho approach, as defeat could send them spinning out of the Europa League.

Real Betis drew at this venue on Saturday and have finished level in three of their last four La Liga games. Gers ended with back-to-back 1-1 draws with Aberdeen and Aris Limassol last month and nicked a hard-fought 1-0 win over Hearts in a recent trip to Edinburgh. The stats nudge us towards a draw, and the 13/5 price tag makes that a worthwhile bet. We’re happy to take up a position on the fence.

Bet 2: Under 2.5 goals @ 10/11

If you’d prefer to avoid the match-winner market and search for a potentially safer bet at shorter odds, we advise trying your luck on this game producing less than three goals. The under 2.5 goals market in the game between Real Betis and Rangers trades at 10/11, and that’s worth a spot in your midweek European football accumulators.

A bet on under 2.5 goals would’ve secured you a profit in five of Rangers' last six games in all competitions, with the spare being a 3-1 weekend home win over Dundee in the Premiership. The same approach would’ve banked you a profit in five of the last six games involving Real Betis. Let’s keep things simple and stick with the stats on what’s sure to be a nervy night in Spain.

Frank Monkhouse covers Scottish football for us at Betfred Insights. You can check out the Football Betting Tips from the whole team on our main Football lindex page...