Arsenal vs Real Betis: prediction and odds

Real Betis are back in the Champions League after a two-decade absence. To best prepare for the battles in Europe’s premier club competition, the Seville-based side has chosen a sparring partner in the form of last season’s Champions League finalist. Arsenal are still finding their rhythm and cannot count on several of their key men, but their squad already features a dazzling new signing from Club Brugge. Will the Spanish side pass the test against a truly formidable opponent?

Tactical Analysis: Arsenal’s Dynasty in the Making

After 22 long years of waiting, Arsenal finally reclaimed Premier League gold and came within a whisker of adding the Champions League trophy to their cabinet, only to fall in the decisive final against Paris Saint-Germain (1-1, 3-4 on penalties). In the upcoming campaign, the Londoners are chasing new silverware, and during this summer break, they have fully retained their core squad and already played one friendly. The Gunners dismantled Girona 4-1, and it is worth noting that goals in that match came from Gabriel Jesus, whose previous season was marred by injuries, and Kai Havertz, who has already returned from his holiday.

New Arsenal signing Christos Tzolis also registered a goal contribution. Over the summer, the team parted ways with Leandro Trossard (8 goals and 11 assists in 50 matches of the 2025/26 season), as well as backup goalkeeper Karl Hein and defender Jakub Kiwior. Tzolis has taken the Belgian’s place. The 24-year-old is equally proficient with both feet and is excellent at delivering corners and free kicks, a critically important asset for the current Arsenal side, which scored 36 goals from set-pieces (excluding penalties) across all competitions in the 2025/26 campaign. He himself delivered 52 key passes from such positions last season, and in the match against Girona, he unleashed his trademark strike from outside the box, already integrating into the squad.

Arsenal’s other acquisition is third-choice goalkeeper Illan Meslier, but that is all for now. Mikel Arteta will field a mixed lineup for the upcoming match. Key defenders William Saliba and Jurriën Timber are in the treatment room. The English contingent (Rice, Saka, Eze, Madueke), as well as first-choice goalkeeper David Raya and midfielder Martín Zubimendi, are on leave following the 2026 World Cup. Norwegian Martin Ødegaard will only return in the week of the match against Betis. However, the Brazilian Gabriel, who, along with Martinelli, began training on July 31, could take to the pitch.

Tactical Analysis: Betis Prepares for the Champions League

Betis finished the 2025/26 La Liga season in fifth place, securing a spot in the Champions League league phase for the first time since the 2005/06 campaign. The architect of this success is the 72-year-old Manuel Pellegrini. The Seville club has abandoned total ball control and shifted to a vertical style of football with rapid counter-attacks. To showcase themselves in the top European competition, Betis came out of their break very early and have already played five friendly matches. The results are impressive: four wins, four clean sheets, and only one defeat, against Granada (0-1). The first two matches were against less prestigious opponents, but then the Sevillians thrashed Lyon 4-0 and left no chance for a stubborn Almería side (1-0).

In Pellegrini’s system, wingers play a pivotal role, and Betis managed to retain all of them during the off-season. However, there have been losses in other positions. The most painful was the sale of central midfielder Altimira (40 matches in the 2025/26 season) and the departure of centre-back Nobel Mendy (28 games). The management also said goodbye to veterans: full-back Ricardo Rodríguez (35 appearances) and striker Cédric Bakambu (4 goals and 3 assists in 27 matches). However, the resulting gaps have been filled. The midfield will now be anchored by Facundo Bernal from Fluminense, and the defensive flank will be patrolled by Fran García from Real Madrid. Both have already made their debuts for the team, with Bernal even playing 87 minutes against Lyon.

Ahead of the upcoming match, Manuel Pellegrini cannot count on all of his strongest players. The key wingers, Abde Ezzalzouli and Antony, are not yet taking part in matches as both are recovering from injuries. Nevertheless, main striker Chucho Hernández has returned from leave, and creative attacking leaders Isco and Pablo Fornals are already getting game time.

Predicted Lineups

Arsenal (4-3-3): Arrizabalaga – White, Mosquera, Gabriel, Calafiori – Lewis-Skelly, Nwaneri, Havertz – Dowman, Gyökeres, Tzolis

• Out: Saliba, Timber (both injured), Rice, Saka, Madueke, Eze, Zubimendi, Ødegaard, Raya (all resting)
• Head Coach: Mikel Arteta

Real Betis (4-2-3-1): Valles – Bellerín, Llorente, Gómez, Firpo – Fornals, Bernal – Isco, Deossa, Losada – Petit

• Out: Condé (injured), Lo Celso (resting)
• Head Coach: Manuel Pellegrini

Referee

The match will be officiated by a referee whose decisions will be crucial in managing the flow of this pre-season encounter.

Prediction and Bet

Main Prediction: Arsenal Win at 1.60

Arsenal still have to wait for the return of all their key players, but even now, the Londoners represent a formidable force. In the match against Girona, the team scored goals of all descriptions. The Gunners, in their trademark style, move the ball quickly across the pitch and dominate. Young players like Dowman, Nwaneri, and Lewis-Skelly are getting their chances in these friendlies. New signing Tzolis and Gabriel Jesus, who needs to fight for his place in the starting eleven, are operating in a similar fashion.

In defence, Arteta’s men leave almost no space. The only goal they conceded came from a corner kick, but the likely return of Gabriel to the pitch will add reliability from set-pieces. Betis, on the other hand, cannot yet rely on their best wingers, who generate the most danger. The midfield also does not yet look balanced: Bernal is only just building chemistry with his teammates. The Spanish side has not yet faced such a strong opponent, so they will find it difficult to resist the Londoners. We are backing an Arsenal win at 1.60.

Prediction on Goals: Both Teams to Score – Yes at 1.67

The match promises to be high-scoring. Betis are averaging 1.8 goals per game this pre-season. Arsenal scored four times in their first friendly. The opponents play on the front foot and, as previous matches this summer have shown, try to impose dominant football without sterile possession. However, the lineups are not yet optimal, increasing the likelihood of errors, which in turn leaves space for goals. It makes sense to bet on both teams to score at 1.67.