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On Wednesday, Barcelona will take on Real Betis at the Estadio Benito Villamain hoping to extend their advantage at the top of La Liga to eight points.

Both Barca and Betis won their previous matches on the road by the score of 1-0 against opponents from the lower division. Barca defeated Girona, while Betis defeated Getafe.
Real Betis won again on Saturday with a tight 1-0 victory against Getafe, who are in danger of relegation after losing three in a row across all competitions, although twice on penalties.

Borja Iglesias scored the game-winning goal in the 86th minute to snap a seven-game goalless streak in a match that lacked quality in the final third.

Even though Manuel Pellegrini's team has only won three of their past nine La Liga games, they are still in the hunt for a spot in the 2019-20 Champions League. They are presently sixth in the league, three points behind of fourth-place Atletico Madrid with a game in hand.

Betis are looking for a rematch against Barcelona after losing 4-2 on penalties in the Spanish Super Cup semi-finals three weeks ago. The game ended 2-2 after regulation and extra time.

Betis have lost seven of their past eight matches against the Catalan giants, allowing three goals or more in six of those contests, with their lone success coming in a 1-0 away victory in December 2021 thanks to a late goal from Juanmi.

Barcelona's last loss came on October 26 in the Champions League at home against Bayern Munich by a score of 3-0, and since then they have gone 13 games without losing, winning their past eight matches in a row.

Xavi's squad has won their past three games, against Getafe, Real Sociedad, and Girona, each time by a solitary goal. On Saturday, they defeated Girona 1-0 on the strength of a goal from substitute Pedri, giving him three goals in his last four outings.

Barca is now five points ahead at the top of La Liga after 18 matches after rivals Real Madrid lost points at home to Real Sociedad on Sunday. They will want to expand their advantage in their next two meetings against Sevillian opponents, Real Betis and Sevilla.

To a large extent, Barcelona's success in La Liga this season can be attributed to the team's improved defensive play. The Catalan giants have kept 14 clean sheets in 18 games, allowing only six goals overall. Three of those goals were surrendered in a 3–2 loss to Real Madrid in the El Clasico in mid-October.

Catalan giants have won eight of their past 10 trips to Betis in all competitions, including the last five in a row in La Liga, so they can feel confident about taking all three points on Wednesday at the Estadio Benito Villamain.