Betis can move closer to fifth place at Anoeta — Real Sociedad – Betis

Real Sociedad – Betis arrives on Saturday at Anoeta with the visitors one win from making fifth place look nearly locked. Betis are fifth on 53 points, six ahead of sixth-place Celta, and a victory would leave them with only nine league points left to play for.

The match starts at 21.00 CET, with Real Sociedad ninth on 43 points and already safe in Europe. Betis are chasing the fifth-place finish that can open Champions League access through coefficients between European leagues.

Pellegrini’s target at Anoeta

Manuel Pellegrini has said he would like to reach the Champions League with Betis, and he has pointed to the strength of the season his side has put together. The route is simple enough: beat Real Sociedad, then carry the margin into the final stretch.

Betis would still have 9 points left to play for after Saturday, but the cushion over Celta would put them in near control of the race for fifth. That is the practical pressure on Anoeta, even with two league matches still to follow against Elche and Barcelona.

Real Sociedad’s slide and Betis’ lift

Real Sociedad come in on their worst run since Pellegrino Matarazzo arrived, with three matches without a win. The club has already won the Copa del Rey, and its survival and European place are both secured, which changes the stakes for a side that no longer has that same league urgency.

Betis have used the last three league matches to steady themselves. They ended a run of bad results with a 2-3 win in Girona, drew 1-1 at home against Real Madrid and then beat Oviedo 3-0 at La Cartuja last Sunday.

Betis without Bartra and Ortiz

There is still a gap in Pellegrini’s squad. Marc Bartra and Ángel Ortiz are out again because of physical problems, and neither will return until next season. Isco Alarcón has been adding minutes after a long injury absence, which gives Betis one more experienced option as the league run-in tightens.

The probable Betis side would include Valles, Aitor Ruibal, Natan, Valentín Gómez, Ricardo Rodríguez, Amrabat, Marc Roca, Antony, Fornals, Abde and Cucho Hernández. For Real Sociedad, the projected lineup lists Remiro, Elustondo, Jon Martín, Caleta-Car, Sergio Gómez, Turrientes, Soler, Sucic, Barrenetxea, Kubo and Oyarzabal. If Betis leave Anoeta with three points, the climb to fifth becomes much harder to shake before Elche and Barcelona arrive on the schedule.