Real Betis Aims to Reclaim Winning Streak Against Oviedo

Real Betis is set to conclude the first half of the league season this Saturday at Carlos Tartiere against Oviedo. The team is eager to return to winning ways following a significant defeat last weekend at Santiago Bernabéu. Additionally, they aim to regain their effectiveness against lower-ranked teams, a challenge they have faced multiple times this season.

Whenever Betis has encountered opponents in the relegation zone, the outcome has consistently been a draw. To date, they have faced Levante, Valencia, and Girona when these teams occupied positions that would result in relegation by the end of the season. Despite coming close to securing victories in these matches, they ultimately dropped six crucial points that would currently place them higher in the standings and closer to the Champions League contention.

Levante was the first of these opponents that Pellegrini’s squad faced this season during the fourth matchday. At that time, Levante was second from the bottom, just as they are now. The match ended in a 2-2 draw after Betis managed to recover from a 2-0 deficit, showcasing missed opportunities to fully capitalize on their comeback in the closing stages.

In their subsequent encounter with a team in the relegation zone, Betis played against Valencia on matchday 12, where Valencia was ranked third from the bottom. A victory for Betis could have marked the worst start to a league season for Corberán’s team. Although Betis took the lead with a goal from Cucho, they ultimately relinquished two points late in the match due to a goal from Luis Rioja.

The third team Betis faced while in the relegation zone was Girona, who have now escaped that precarious position. This match took place on matchday 13, when Míchel’s squad was second from the bottom. In the encounter at La Cartuja, Girona scored first with a goal by Vanat, followed by Betis equalizing through Valentín Gómez from a set-piece. Antony’s expulsion during a critical moment stifled Betis’s chances of securing a win.

This Saturday, the Heliópolis team will have another opportunity to address their shortcomings against lower-ranked teams when they visit Carlos Tartiere to face the current bottom team, Oviedo. Oviedo arrives after a recent draw against Alavés and appears to have regained stability under Almada. The two teams have not met in over 25 years, with their last encounter in February 2000 ending in a 1-1 draw in LaLiga.

The last time Betis secured three points against a team in the relegation zone was on April 24, 2025, against Valladolid. It has been eight and a half months since that emphatic 5-1 victory, which kept Pellegrini’s squad in contention for the fifth spot alongside Villarreal during matchday 33 of the previous season. Coincidentally, Valladolid was also at the bottom of the table at that time, similar to Oviedo’s current position.