Betis Team News Page 11 - Soccer

Ezequiel Avila - Scores first Betis goal Chimy Avila scored one goal to go with three shots (one on goal) and one cross (zero accurate) in Sunday's 3-1 win over Athletic. In addition, he was given a yellow card in the 30t...

Impact Avila scored for the first time since making the switch to Betis from Osasuna in January and took three shots for the first time in a game since early December. He came off the pitch on 51 minutes as he works his way back to full fitness since returning from an ankle injury, but this strong performance will give him confidence heading into the upcoming matches.

FEBRUARY 29 • ROTOWIRE

Rui Silva - Spectator in win Silva recorded no saves and allowed one goal in Sunday's 3-1 win versus Athletic.

Impact Silva was held without a save for the first time since January 21 in a four-nil loss to Barcelona but remains in decent form with four clean sheets in his last seven matches. Up next is a tough trip to an Atletico Madrid side who have scored 52 goals in 26 contests.

FEBRUARY 29 • ROTOWIRE

USMNT Historic Weekend: Weston McKennie, Ricardo Pepi, Johnny Cardoso and more | SOTU

FEBRUARY 27 • FOX SPORTS

Aitor Ruibal - Sustains ankle injury Ruibal suffered a grade 2 ankle sprain against Athletic on Sunday.

Impact While the club didn't release an official timeline, Ruibal should probably be expected to miss between 4-6 weeks based on the severity of the sprain. The right-back was making his first start since Jan. 13 against Granada when he sustained his ankle injury. Hector Bellerin figures to retake the starting role with Ruibal on the shelf.

FEBRUARY 27 • ROTOWIRE

Nabil Fekir - Undergoes surgery Monday Fekir had surgery to repair a nasal fracture Monday.

Impact According to the team's release, Fekir "must now rest post-surgical for a few days and then wear a protective mask," which would seem to leave open the possibility he would be ready to play against Atletico Madrid on Sunday. Since returning from a thigh injury, the attacking midfielder has started five of his last seven outings while registering two assists, 15 shots (three on target), 16 crosses (four accurate) and nine corners. With Isco (hamstring) also unavailable, Pablo Fornals would likely take over as the primary corner taker if Fekir can't play Sunday.

FEBRUARY 27 • ROTOWIRE

Gregg Berhalter explains how breakout star Johnny Cardoso fits into the USMNT's midfield

With Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie sidelined, Johnny Cardoso could be a major factor for the U.S. men's national team in the upcoming wind...

FEBRUARY 27

Gregg Berhalter explains how breakout star Johnny Cardoso fits into the USMNT's midfield

Marc Roca - Eligible against Atletico Roca will be in contention versus Atletico Madrid on Sunday after serving his one-match suspension.

Impact Roca was previously on the shelf with an illness, leading to just two appearances in the club's last five matches. Still, the defensive midfielder has started all but two of his 30 La Liga and Europa League outings for the club, so he should reclaim his spot in the starting XI on Sunday.

FEBRUARY 26 • ROTOWIRE

Sokratis - Available Sunday Sokratis will be in contention against Atletico Madrid on Sunday following his one-match ban for accumulation.

Impact Sokratis was coming off seven consecutive starts before being banned versus Athletic on Sunday. In those appearances, the central defender managed 32 clearances, one shot (on target) and five interceptions. Outside of clearances, Sokratis probably won't offer much in the way of fantasy production.

FEBRUARY 26 • ROTOWIRE

Juan Miranda - Suspension served Miranda will be eligible for Sunday's clash with Atletico Madrid after serving his one-match suspension.

Impact Miranda has made just two starts in the club's last eight contests, in part due to injury and suspension. The left-back has seen plenty of time on the bench for the club this season and shouldn't be considered a lock to start even with his ban behind him. The recently returned Youssouf Sabaly figures to also challenge for left-back minutes.

FEBRUARY 26 • ROTOWIRE

REAL BETIS 3 - 1 ATHLETIC CLUB | RESUMEN LALIGA EA SPORTS

FEBRUARY 25 • YOUTUBE

Cedric Bakambu - Suffers injury Thursday Bakambu scored a goal in Thursday's 1-1 draw against Dinamo Zagreb in the UEFA Europa Conference League. He also suffered an injury and will be unavailable to face Athletic Bilbao...

Impact Bakambu scored Betis' lone goal in the tie during the first half of Thursday's match, but Pellegrini acknowledged he suffered a "pinch" in his thigh, so he won't recover in time to face Athletic Club. This means Willian Jose will likely start Sunday against Bilbao, with Chimy Avila also being an option in a central role.

FEBRUARY 22 • ROTOWIRE

William Carvalho - Called up Thursday Carvalho was called up for Thursday's clash with Dinamo Zagreb.

Impact Carvalho was selected for Thursday's clash despite missing last time out. The midfielder's injury was expected to be minor and it turns out it is minor. Even when available Carvalho has been little more than a bench option, with just 20 total minutes on the pitch across the last two matches.

FEBRUARY 21 • ROTOWIRE

Francisco Barbosa - Extends contract Vieites has agreed to a two-year contract extension with Betis on Monday.

Impact Vieites' time with Betis will not be ending after this season, inking an extension to remain with the team until 2026 after joining in the summer of 2022. The goalie has only registered three appearances since joining the club, making 10 saves while allowing four goals to go along with a clean sheet. He will most likely remain in a reserve option for the rest of the season, as Claudio Bravo and Rui Silva are currently preferred over the 24-year-old, but he will hope to see more chances in the next two seasons, hoping to secure a spot in the starting XI at some point.

FEBRUARY 19 • ROTOWIRE

Marc Roca - Earns yellow-card suspension Roca received his fifth yellow card of the season and will be suspended to face Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.

Impact Roca has been one of Betis' best players this season and has emerged as a key component in midfield, especially with Guido Rodriguez (leg) sidelined. The absence of Roca could open up a starting opportunity for Sergi Altimira or William Carvalho. Roca should be eligible to return when Betis takes on Atletico Madrid on March 3.

FEBRUARY 19 • ROTOWIRE

Juan Miranda - Suspended due to yellow cards Miranda received his fifth yellow card of the season and will be suspended to face Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.

Impact Miranda's absence creates quite a problem for Real Betis on the defensive line, as the other left-back on the squad, Abner, is out with a leg injury and is not expected back until early March at the earliest. With Miranda out, Hector Bellerin could move to the left flank while Aitor Ruibal moves to the right-back role.

FEBRUARY 19 • ROTOWIRE

Sokratis - Suspended, won't face Athletic Sokratis received his fifth yellow card of the season and will be suspended to face Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.

Impact Sokratis established himself as a starter rather quickly since joining Betis once the season had already started, and given the team's current injury issues, his absence will be a blow to an already thin defensive line. Chadi Riad is likely to partner next to German Pezzella against Athletic, though Sokratis should be eligible to return when Betis takes on Atletico Madrid on March 3.

FEBRUARY 19 • ROTOWIRE

Ez Abde - Four shots, four crosses Ez Abde registered four shots (zero on goal) and four crosses (one accurate) in Sunday's 0-0 draw against Deportivo Alaves. In addition, he was given a yellow card in the 31st minu...

Impact With more than three shots and crosses, Ez Abde provided a threat from inside and outside the penalty box. He has been unable to score or log an assist since October, but his latest performance is expected to provide some inspiration that can help him disrupt the droughts in the near future.

FEBRUARY 19 • ROTOWIRE

Nabil Fekir - Attempts six crosses Fekir generated two shots (one on goal), six crosses (one accurate) and three corners in Sunday's 0-0 draw against Deportivo Alaves.

Impact Even though Fekir was unable to log an assist in each of his last three appearances, his latest performance was easily his best. By creating three chances and attempting twice the amount of crosses, he is matching the form expected from him before separate injuries took a heavy toll on his 2023-24 season.

FEBRUARY 19 • ROTOWIRE

Pablo Fornals - Creates three chances Fornals recorded one shot (zero on goal), five crosses (one accurate) and three corners in Sunday's 0-0 draw versus Deportivo Alaves.

Impact Following his goal-scoring performance at Cadiz on Feb. 9, Fornals was rewarded with another start. While the midfielder failed to replicate his previous performance, he fared relatively well. He logged five crosses during both appearances. And while the attacking midfielder created fewer chances, he did so only by one and attempted an extra corner.

FEBRUARY 19 • ROTOWIRE

Rui Silva - Another clean sheet Silva recorded four saves and secured a clean sheet in Sunday's 0-0 draw against Deportivo Alaves.

Impact Silva has alternated between a clean sheet and not since December, but February marked the first month during which he maintained a clean sheet in back-to-back appearances. He is on quite a roll as of late, with a 91.7 save percentage and three clean sheets across his last four appearances.

FEBRUARY 19 • ROTOWIRE

REAL BETIS 0 - 0 DEPORTIVO ALAVÉS | RESUMEN LALIGA EA SPORTS

FEBRUARY 18 • YOUTUBE

Youssouf Sabaly - Starts on bench Sabaly (calf) is on the bench for Sunday's match versus Alaves.

Impact Sabaly has not seen any action on the pitch since August, having been sidelined with a calf injury. This will likely keep him a bench option after having been a favorite to start in the beginning of the campaign.

FEBRUARY 18 • ROTOWIRE

Ayoze Perez - Still weeks away Perez (ankle) is still a "couple more weeks" away from returning to the pitch, according to manager Manuel Pellegrino. "Ayoze has no chance of recovering next week. He still has a...

Impact No surprise that Perez is still not ready to return after having already missed four matches with an ankle injury. This could leave his starting role in jeopardy with the addition of Chimy Avila from Osasuna, along with Ez Abde's return from the AFCON Cup with Morocco.

FEBRUARY 16 • ROTOWIRE

Hector Bellerin interview: 'Measure your carbon footprint, change your behaviour' Former Arsenal and Barcelona full-back Hector Bellerin tells The Athletic about his steps to combat climate change

FEBRUARY 16 • THEATHLETIC.COM

Johnny Cardoso is capitalizing on his opportunity with Betis — can he do the same with USMNT?

With USMNT captain Tyler Adams still working his way back from injury, Johnny Cardoso has a chance to move up Gregg Berhalter's pecking orde...

FEBRUARY 15

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USMNT Historic Weekend: Weston McKennie, Ricardo Pepi, Johnny Cardoso and more | SOTU

Gregg Berhalter explains how breakout star Johnny Cardoso fits into the USMNT's midfield

Johnny Cardoso is capitalizing on his opportunity with Betis — can he do the same with USMNT?