Can the visitors hold their own in Spain too?
Things are set to get exciting again between these two teams on Thursday. A Betis Sevilla vs. Panathinaikos Athens prediction could be just as interesting, with the hosts clearly favored.
The Greeks won the first leg in Athens 1-0, but the Spaniards are clear favorites for the second leg at La Cartuja Stadium in Seville. Can Rafael Benítez continue to build on his positive record against Sevilla?
Under the guidance of experienced coach Benítez, who previously managed Real Madrid, Valencia, Napoli, and Liverpool, among others, the Greeks have stabilized. Therefore, in the Betis Sevilla vs. Panathinaikos Athens prediction, one shouldn’t be too certain that the hosts will come out on top.
Betis Sevilla has the home-field advantage. After all, they have won three of their four home games in the Europa League. However, they haven’t secured a win in their last five competitive matches. In the league, they’ve drawn three of their last four games. This must be taken into account alongside the Betis Sevilla vs. Panathinaikos Athens odds.
Panathinaikos has become a very stable team that hasn’t lost in eight games, both internationally and in the domestic league. That provides the confidence needed to advance to the quarterfinals.
The Greeks will likely play a tight game, making it difficult for the hosts. With an Expected Goals value of 2.46, a bet on under 2.5 goals is a possibility. At the same time, it’s also possible that neither team will manage to score. A scoreless draw would not be a surprise given this scenario.
Betis Sevilla – Panathinaikos Athens Head-to-Head Record
As for the Betis Sevilla vs. Panathinaikos Athens betting odds, the Spaniards are clearly the favorites. However, when it comes to their head-to-head record, it is the Greeks who have won the only match between the two sides so far.
In Athens last week, Vicente Taborda scored the decisive winning goal, though it didn’t come until the 88th minute. Sevilla had more chances and more possession, but still couldn’t find the back of the net.
Betis Sevilla – Panathinaikos Prediction
Last year, Betis Sevilla reached the Conference League final, which they lost to Chelsea. In contrast, the team has not yet advanced beyond the round of 16 in the Europa League. It will be tough again this Thursday.
Panathinaikos must, on the one hand, prevent a goal and, on the other, score one themselves. If they succeed in the latter, their chances of reaching the quarterfinals would increase significantly. But even without that, the Greeks are a force to be reckoned with, having gone eight games unbeaten internationally.
For Rafael Benítez on the sidelines, a situation like this is nothing new, so he must be considered a key factor.
We can expect a close game in which more than 2.5 goals would be a surprise. Both sides will need to be extremely solid defensively.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if neither team scored. This applies to both the Spanish and the Greeks. For the latter, advancing would be a major achievement, the likes of which they haven’t seen in a long time.
