La Liga | Gameweek 28

Mar 16, 2025 at 1pm UK

Estadio Municipal de Butarque

Leganes vs Real Betis

Match preview

Leganes have a record of six wins, nine draws and 12 defeats from their 27 league matches this season, with a total of 27 points to leave them in 17th place, just one point above the relegation zone.

Borja Jimenez's side are the reigning Segunda Division champions and are bidding to return to the top flight for the first time since 2020.

Leganes beat Getafe 1-0 in their last game in front of their own fans on 2 March, but they will go into this match off the back of a 2-1 defeat at Celta Vigo, which has left them struggling on the road.

El Lega have taken 17 points from their 13 league games on home soil this term, and they will face a Real Betis side who have been beaten six times on their travels in the league this season.

Leganes last defeated Real Betis in February 2019, with that success coming on home soil, but they were beaten 2-0 when the two sides met in the reverse fixture earlier this season.

Real Betis, meanwhile, go into the game on the back of a 4-0 win over Vitoria de Guimaraes in the second leg of their Copa del Rey last-16 tie, which saw the Sevilla side progress to the quarter-finals of the competition.

Pellegrini's side are unbeaten in their last five games in all competitions, while in La Liga they have won their last four, beating Real Sociedad, Getafe, Real Madrid and Las Palmas in the process.

They have taken 41 points from their 27 league games this term, which puts them sixth in the standings, four points clear of seventh-placed Mallorca and just three points behind Villarreal in fifth.

Real Betis have picked up the majority of their points at home this season, winning just four of their 13 league games away from home.

However, Pellegrini's side are in top form at the right time of the season and the visitors will be confident of recording a 12th La Liga win of the campaign against their relegation-threatened opponents.

Recent Performance

Leganes La Liga form:LLDLWL

Leganes form (all competitions):LLDLWL

Real Betis La Liga form:DLWWWW

Real Betis form (all competitions):LWWDWW

Team News

Leganes will once again be without Enric Franquesa due to a long-term knee problem, but Munir El Haddadi is back in the squad after a recent suspension.

Head coach Jimenez will have been pleased with aspects of his side's performance against Celta, so it would not be surprising to see the same XI take the field, with Diego Garcia set to continue at centre-forward.

Jorge Saenz replaced Matija Nastasic on the bench against Celta, but the latter is expected to be available, while Oscar Rodriguez and Juan Cruz are also in contention.

As for Real Betis, there will be changes to the side that started against Vitoria in the Conference, with Natan, Adrian and Youssouf Sabaly all expected to feature.

However, Cedric Bakambu's brace in the European game could see the striker retain his starting berth on Sunday afternoon.

The visitors are still without Marc Roca, Giovani Lo Celso and William Carvalho through injury, while Johnny Cardoso is suspended for the weekend, opening the door for Sergi Altimira to start in the middle of midfield.

Possible starting lineup

Leganes possible starting lineup:

Dmitrovic; Rosier, Gonzalez, Nastasic, Tapia, Hernandez; Cruz, Neyou, Cisse, O Rodriguez; D Garcia

Real Betis possible starting lineup:

Adrian; Sabaly, Llorente, Natan, Rodriguez; Fornals, Altimira; Antony, Isco, J Rodriguez; Bakambu