Betis Mean Business — Getafe Arrive at the Wrong Time

Five wins from their last six matches. A victory over Real Madrid already banked. A scalp at Villarreal tucked in the back pocket. Real Betis are not messing about this La Liga season, and Thursday's matchweek 6 home clash against Getafe is precisely the kind of fixture a team in this sort of mood relishes.

Let's be honest about what that recent run actually shows. Betis have scored 9 and conceded 7 across those six completed matches, which tells you this is not some defensive, grind-it-out operation. They beat Real Madrid 1-0 and won 2-1 away at Villarreal, but they also shipped five at Levante, so there is genuine vulnerability at the back when teams get after them. Álvaro Vallés has been busy between the sticks with 7 saves in just two appearances this season, picking up one clean sheet along the way. Isco has been pulling strings in midfield with 4 key passes from only 93 minutes of football, while Héctor Bellerín and Pablo Fornals have each contributed 3 key passes of their own. The goal threat has come from all over the pitch — Marc Bartra has scored from centre-back, Rodrigo Riquelme has chipped in from the left wing, and Pablo García has found the net despite managing only 39 minutes of action so far.

Getafe, by contrast, are a team searching for answers. Two wins, two draws and two defeats from their last six in La Liga, with only 4 goals scored and 6 conceded in that run. The two most recent results — draws against Deportivo A Coruña and Celta de Vigo — suggest a side that has stabilised slightly after back-to-back defeats, but grinding out 1-1s is hardly the form of a team that fancies taking points from a side playing like Betis are right now. They also head into Thursday without Kiko Femenía, the right wingback sidelined with a hamstring injury, which limits their options on that flank. We hold no goal or assist contributions for any Getafe player this season, which alone tells a story about where their attacking threat currently sits relative to their hosts.

Getafe's last four La Liga results: W, L, D, D. Betis's last four: W, L, W, W. The contrast in trajectory is stark, and with Isco pulling strings, Betis's wide players creating chances, and a back line that just beat Real Madrid, this one is leaning heavily toward the home side. Getafe have enough defensive solidity to keep it tight, but Betis have too many creative outlets and too much momentum right now. Back the hosts.