Real Betis host Levante at the Estadio de La Cartuja on Saturday 23 May, 7pm BST — a fixture that epitomises La Liga's widening gulf as the Seville club eyes a comfortable fifth-place finish whilst their visitors cling to fading hopes of escaping relegation's grip. The hosts arrive in the driving seat, twelve points clear of their opponents with superior goal difference, yet Levante's recent resurgence — three wins in their last five outings — has injected fresh urgency into a survival campaign that, according to the Guardian's Sid Lowe, has been orchestrated by an unheralded tactical shift under Luís Castro.
Manuel Pellegrini's regeneration project at Betis has weathered a turbulent spring. After a 3-1 defeat at Barcelona five days ago — a setback that saw VAR controversy cloud the narrative around a disputed penalty decision — the Seville outfit bounced back with a 2-1 home win over Elche, with Cucho Hernández poaching an early opener in the ninth minute before Pablo Fornals sealed victory twenty minutes from time. That Barcelona loss was harsh on Betis; the visitors had held their own against the Blaugrana before capitulating in the closing stages. Now, with only a season-ending formality looming, Pellegrini's men can afford to rotate and rest key personnel — though the manager will likely resist the temptation given the club's European ambitions for next term.
Antony's resurgence at the Estadio de La Cartuja — the Brazilian winger scored in the 2-2 draw at Real Sociedad on 9 May — has been the season's sweetest subplot. Having arrived at Betis with a reputation tarnished by his Old Trafford struggles, Antony has answered his critics with a string of assured performances. He arrives in form, having contributed to two goals across his last three outings, though his omission from Carlo Ancelotti's Brazil squad for the 2026 World Cup has plainly stung. Cucho Hernández, meanwhile, has emerged as Betis's talismanic forward, with three goals in his last five league games, whilst Abde Ezzalzouli chipped in with two strikes during the same period.
Levante's turnaround has been nothing short of remarkable. Three successive wins — a 3-2 victory over Osasuna at home on 8 May, a 3-2 away triumph at Celta Vigo four days later, and a 2-0 home success against Mallorca last Sunday — have sparked genuine belief that they might yet dodge the drop. Kervin Arriaga and Víctor García have been the engines of that revival, each netting twice in the five-game run, though the visitors will be without Roger Brugué, who was sent off in the 86th minute of the Mallorca fixture and is suspended for this contest. The loss of Brugué's midfield grit — precisely the kind of combative presence Levante require against a Betis side that controls possession — represents a genuine handicap as they seek a fourth consecutive win.
The underlying numbers, however, paint a stark picture. Betis's home record reads WWDLD across their last five fixtures at La Cartuja — a sequence marred only by the recent Barcelona loss — whilst Levante's away form stands at WLDLD, a pattern that betrays their fundamental struggle on hostile ground. The 12-point gulf between fifth and fifteenth, combined with Betis's superior goal difference of plus-ten against Levante's minus-thirteen, suggests a mismatch that form reversals alone cannot fully overcome.
Betis arrive as clear favourites, and for good reason. The hosts' press game at home, combined with Antony and Cucho's attacking potency, should prove too much for a Levante side still learning to cement their defensive shape under Castro's philosophy. A 2-1 victory for the Seville outfit feels most likely — enough to secure three points without overexertion — though both teams remain capable of finding the net in what promises to be an open affair. The final-day mathematics favour Pellegrini's men, but Levante's hunger for survival should ensure this is no procession.