Real Betis will be aiming to move back to within two points of fifth-place Villarreal when they continue their La Liga campaign at home to Rayo Vallecano on Monday night.
Manuel Pellegrini's side are currently sixth in the table, four points ahead of seventh-placed Girona, while Rayo occupy 10th position, only two points from a European position in Spain's top flight.
Match preview
© Reuters
The top four is almost certainly beyond Real Betis at this stage of the campaign, with the Green and Whites currently sixth in the table, 10 points behind fourth-placed Real Sociedad, but they are in a strong position when it comes to qualifying for next season's Europa League.
Finishing fifth or sixth would see them advance to the group stage of the 2023-24 Europa League, while the team in seventh will go into the Europa Conference League playoff round.
Real Betis are four points ahead of seventh-placed Girona and five behind fifth-placed Villarreal with a game in hand on both sides, and they will be looking for their 16th league victory of the season on Monday night.
Pellegrini's side will enter this match off the back of a 1-0 success over Athletic Bilbao on May 4, with Willian Jose netting the only goal of the contest in the early stages.
Real Betis have been relatively strong at home this season, picking up 28 points from 16 matches, while they are unbeaten against Rayo in Spain's top flight since April 2014 and recorded a 2-1 victory in the reverse game between the two sides back in January.
© Reuters
Rayo, meanwhile, were also last in action on May 4, recording a 2-1 victory over Real Valladolid, which made it three wins from their last five league matches during a strong run of form.
Los Franjirrojos are currently 10th in the table, but they are only two points behind seventh-placed Girona with a game in hand, so the capital outfit are very much in the race for European football.
Rayo have never finished higher than eighth in Spain's top flight, so they are chasing history this season, and it has been a brilliant campaign for a club who continue to punch above their weight.
Andoni Iraola's side have been impressive on home soil this season, picking up 29 points from 17 matches in front of their own supporters, but they have only won four of their 16 games on their travels.
Rayito still have to travel to Real Madrid before the end of the season, and three of their last five games are away from home, which would play a key role in their battle to secure a top-seven finish.
Team News
© Reuters
Real Betis will be missing four players through injury on Monday, with Luiz Felipe, Joaquin, Victor Ruiz and Nabil Fekir on the sidelines.
However, Edgar Gonzalez is available for the hosts after serving a suspension, and the 26-year-old is likely to be handed a starting role in the middle of the defence for this contest.
Head coach Pellegrini would have been pleased with his team's performance against Athletic last time out, so it could be close to the same XI for this match, with Willian Jose set to retain his spot at centre-forward despite pressure from Borja Iglesias.
Rayo, meanwhile, have just one absentee at this moment in time, with experienced forward Radamel Falcao on the sidelines due to a muscular issue.
Florian Lejeune is available after a suspension, and the 31-year-old is set to return in the middle of the defence.
Raul de Tomas was on the scoresheet against Real Valladolid last time out, and he could therefore continue as the centre-forward in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Alvaro Garcia and Isi Palazon operating in the wide areas.
Sergio Camello also registered after replacing De Tomas off the bench, though, and the Spaniard will also be hoping to be involved from the first whistle on Monday night.
Real Betis possible starting lineup:
Bravo; Sabaly, Pezzella, Gonzalez, Miranda; Rodriguez, Guardado; Canales, Carvalho, Perez; Jose
Rayo Vallecano possible starting lineup:
Dimitrievski; Balliu, Lejeune, Catena, F Garcia; Valentin, Comesana; Palazon, Trejo, A Garcia; De Tomas
We say: Real Betis 2-1 Rayo Vallecano
Rayo have lost four of their last five La Liga games on their travels, while as mentioned, they have not managed to overcome Real Betis in Spain's top flight since April 2014. We are expecting a close game on Monday night but believe that the hosts will be able to navigate their way to all three points.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
