Following an eventful 1st leg clash in last week’s play-off tie in the Europa League in St Petersburg, La Liga side, Real Betis emerged with a valuable 3-2 lead and they now return to their Estadio Benito Villamarín for this Thursday’s decisive 2nd leg.
Real Betis have now won their last four matches on the trot in all competitions and indeed, eight out of their last nine games in all competitions.
We don’t know what’s better?The skills, the weather or the tunes? 😎🎶 #GazpromTrainingCamp pic.twitter.com/tSvvNYlSny— FC Zenit in English✨ (@fczenit_en) February 21, 2022
We don’t know what’s better?The skills, the weather or the tunes? 😎🎶 #GazpromTrainingCamp pic.twitter.com/tSvvNYlSny
Тhe hosts will be confident that they can finish the job in Spain on Thursday night to progress through to the last 16 of this season’s Europa League.
Previously, Real Betis had edged out Celtic for the runners-up spot in Group G behind group winners, Bayer Leverkusen, which was largely thanks to being unbeaten on home soil during the group stage.
Victories over Celtic and Ferencvaros in 4-3 and 2-0 wins respectively along with holding Bayer Leverkusen to a 1-1 draw helped Real Betis reach this stage of the competition and the hosts will be relying on home form again in this 2nd leg.
Russian visitors, Zenit, arguably possess the better pedigree as they finished in 3rd place in Group H of the Champions League аnd therefore have a second bite of the European cherry in the Europa League now.
However, Zenit managed to record just one win during a disappointing group stage which came in the form of a 4-0 rout of Swedish outfit, Malmo, early on in the proceedings but two defeats and two draws later, Zenit find themselves ‘relegated’ down to the Europa League.
Not that results in the Europa League have been any better in recent times as Zenit have lost their last three ties on the trot in this competition, suffering defeats to Villarreal home and away along with last week’s 3-2 loss at home to Thursday night’s opponents, Real Betis.
Indeed, Zenit have now lost five out of their last six ties in the Europa League and therefore their chances of gaining a result on the road in Spain in this return leg look distinctly slim at best.
Real Betis will have received a major boost after last week’s 3-2 win in St Petersburg and now with home advantage. Betis should be able to finish the job off here.