Arsenal vs Real Betis: Pre-season Friendly Preview, Lineups and Prediction
After an impressive 4-1 win against Girona, Arsenal aim to keep their perfect pre-season run intact when they face Real Betis on Wednesday at Dublin's Aviva Stadium. The Gunners started strong this summer, while Betis are already deep into their preparations, having played six friendlies with four wins so far.
Mikel Arteta has seen encouraging signs from his squad, including new signing Christos Tzolis scoring in an unofficial capacity and the teenage sensation Max Dowman impressing with both a goal and an assist against Girona. Arsenal also secured a 3-0 win behind closed doors against MK Dons to open their summer fixtures.
This will be Arsenal’s third game at the Aviva Stadium in recent years, following matches against Chelsea and Dundalk. Meanwhile, attention remains on the transfer saga involving Vinicius Junior, which Arteta dismissed with a laugh during the weekend.
Real Betis, led by Manuel Pellegrini, have only lost once in pre-season to Granada and claimed victories over teams such as Lotte, Lyon, and Almeria. Their 2025-26 fifth-place finish in La Liga secured them a rare Champions League spot.
Betis face three strong European opponents in quick succession: Arsenal, Bournemouth, and Inter Milan before starting La Liga against Real Sociedad. This encounter marks the first meeting between Arsenal and Betis, although they could meet again in the Champions League group stage after the draw on August 27.
Recent Friendly Results
- Arsenal: Win, Win
- Real Betis: Win, Win, Loss, Win, Win
Team News
After returning from World Cup duties, Kai Havertz, Viktor Gyokeres, and Piero Hincapie were given limited minutes against Girona as part of planned substitutions. No World Cup players are expected back for Arsenal on Wednesday. Jurrien Timber is out due to groin rehab, but Ben White managed 61 minutes without issue, with youngster Marli Salmon available as cover.
Real Betis defender Diego Llorente left their last match early with fatigue but is not seriously injured. They are missing World Cup finalist Giovani Lo Celso and several others due to injuries. Former Real Madrid star Isco made his preseason debut recently and might start, while ex-Arsenal player Hector Bellerin could face his old club.
Possible Starting Lineups
- Arsenal: Kepa; Mosquera, Salmon, Hincapie, Calafiori; Nwaneri, Lewis-Skelly, Havertz; Dowman, Jesus, Tzolis
- Real Betis: Gonzalez; Bellerin, Natan, Gomez, F. Garcia; Roca, Bernal; Antony, Isco, Fornals; Hernandez
Prediction
Arsenal have looked lively and effective in attack during pre-season, but Real Betis will offer a tougher challenge than previous opponents. Fatigue could affect Betis as they reach their sixth friendly. We think Arsenal will extend their unbeaten pre-season record with a 3-1 victory.
