Valencia return to the Mestalla for a second consecutive home fixture on Tuesday evening, looking to secure their first victory of the 2026-27 La Liga season when Real Betis arrive in eastern Spain.Carlos Corberán’s side were frustrated in their opening-day draw against Celta Vigo despite creating several promising opportunities, while Manuel Pellegrini’s men got their campaign off to the perfect start with a narrow victory over Real Sociedad.Verdict: DrawBest odds: 23/10Bookmaker: BetUSValenciaValencia’s season began with a goalless draw against Celta Vigo, a result that left mixed emotions around the Mestalla. While the clean sheet was encouraging, Los Che were left to rue a series of missed opportunities that could have secured all three points.The result also continued a slightly underwhelming sequence for Corberán’s side, who had failed to win any of their final three pre-season fixtures. As a result, concerns remain regarding the team’s efficiency in front of goal despite positive periods of attacking play.There is nevertheless optimism surrounding Valencia heading into the new campaign. Last season’s ninth-place finish left them just two points shy of European qualification, suggesting that another step forward could be enough to return continental football to the Mestalla.Home form will be crucial to those ambitions. Valencia have traditionally enjoyed success against Betis on their own turf, winning eight of the last 15 league meetings between the clubs at the Mestalla and losing only four.Team NewsThe hosts do, however, have several injury concerns to manage. Sergi Canós remains sidelined with the cruciate ligament injury suffered in April, while Alberto Mari, José Copete and Diego López are also unavailable.Justin De Haas is expected to miss out after sustaining a knock during his debut against Celta Vigo, while Dimitri Foulquier is still working his way back to fitness. On a more positive note, Luis Rioja has returned to training and could feature in some capacity.Real BetisReal Betis made a strong opening statement by defeating Real Sociedad 1-0 on the first weekend of the campaign. Rodrigo Riquelme’s second-half strike proved decisive as the Andalusian club secured an important victory against one of their expected rivals for European qualification.After finishing fifth last season and securing Champions League football, Pellegrini’s side enter the new campaign with expectations higher than they have been for many years. The objective will not simply be to qualify for Europe once again, but to establish themselves consistently among Spain’s elite.The club have been active during the transfer window in an effort to strengthen the squad. Facundo Bernal, Fran Garcia and Troy Parrott have all arrived, adding quality and depth ahead of what promises to be a demanding campaign.Recent meetings between the sides suggest another closely contested encounter could be in store. Betis have lost only once in the last five meetings, although two of those matches ended level.Team NewsTeam news presents several challenges for Pellegrini. Diego Conde and Aitor Ruibal are unavailable through shoulder and meniscus injuries respectively, while Ismael Barea continues his recovery from a long-term ACL issue.Giovani Lo Celso remains sidelined with a muscle problem, Gonzalo Petit is unavailable due to a thigh injury, and Abde Ezzalzouli is also absent. Fran Garcia and Facundo Bernal are expected to continue after their successful debuts against Real Sociedad, while Troy Parrott may be in line for his first appearance from the bench.Key Factors to ConsiderValencia created numerous chances against Celta Vigo but failed to find a breakthrough.Real Betis opened the season with a confidence-boosting win over Real Sociedad.The visitors have lost only one of the last five meetings between the two clubs.Valencia are dealing with several injury absences, particularly in attacking areas.Betis will be without a number of important squad players, including Giovani Lo Celso and Abde Ezzalzouli.Both sides have ambitions of challenging for European places this season.ConclusionValencia showed enough against Celta Vigo to suggest that a first victory of the season is not far away, but improving their finishing will be essential if they are to turn encouraging performances into results.Betis arrive with greater confidence following their opening-weekend success and possess the experience to navigate a difficult away fixture. However, their own injury issues could prevent them from fully imposing themselves.With both teams still finding their rhythm early in the season, another tightly contested encounter appears likely, and a draw may ultimately be the outcome that best reflects a balanced matchup at the Mestalla.Verdict: DrawBest odds: 23/10Bookmaker: BetUSThe post Prediction: Valencia vs Real Betis appeared first on SoccerNews.