Real Betis host Athletic Bilbao in a Sunday La Liga showdown in Seville as Athletic seek a third consecutive win to start the 2025-26 campaign. Athletic are sitting fifth with six points from two matches, while Betis have five points from three games and sit in sixth.
Athletic arrive in good early-season form after beating Sevilla 3-2 in their opening match and then edging Rayo Vallecano 1-0, leaving them well-placed for another push under Ernesto Valverde. Betis, who finished sixth last season, have drawn 1-1 with Celta Vigo in midweek after opening with a 1-1 draw against Elche and a 1-0 home victory over Alaves. Both sides will be keen to stake a claim in the European places as the campaign gets underway in earnest.
Head-to-heads and context suggest a tightly fought contest. Betis held Athletic to draws in both league meetings last season and have only lost one of their last seven top-flight clashes with the Basque side. Athletic’s last league win over Betis came in August 2023, and they have not beaten Betis in Seville in the top flight since December 2017.
Athletic return to domestic action while also preparing for a Champions League group-stage campaign this season, with fixtures including Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, Sporting Lisbon, Qarabag, Borussia Dortmund, Newcastle United, Atalanta and Slavia Prague. The Basque club, who finished fourth in 2024-25, are again expected to be in the mix for the top four as they balance league and European duties. Their recruitment has been constrained by the Basque-only policy, but they have added Jesus Areso and Robert Navarro, and Nico Williams has signed a new contract after turning down Barca’s overtures.
Betis will be without a number of players through injury, including Isco, Nelson Deossa, Abde Ezzalzouli, Diego Llorente and Aitor Ruibal. Pau Lopez and Marc Roca are also expected to miss out this weekend. Pablo Garcia could feature on the wider flank, with Giovani Lo Celso again set to operate as the number 10 in Isco’s absence, while Cucho Hernandez should lead the line.
Athletic’s injury list is shorter, with Unai Egiluz and Inigo Lekue unavailable. There are unlikely to be major surprises in the Basque side’s XI, though a tactical tweak in the attacking line could see Oihan Sancet come in for Sannadi, pushing Alex Berenguer into a central forward role and leaving Inaki Williams and Nico Williams to operate from wide areas.
Real Betis possible starting lineup:
Lopez; Bellerin, Natan, Bartra, Firpo; Altimira, Fornals; P Garcia, Lo Celso, Riquelme; Cucho Hernandez
Athletic Bilbao possible starting lineup:
Simón; Areso, Paredes, Vivian, Berchiche; Ruiz de Galarreta, Jauregiariz; I Williams, Sancet, N Williams; Berenguer
Our pick: Real Betis 2-2 Athletic Bilbao
This match has all the ingredients for an entertaining encounter: Athletic chasing a third straight win while Betis remain unbeaten this season. Expect a competitive 90 minutes with chances at both ends and a drawn finish.
Summary: A balanced clash between two top teams early in the season, with both sides capable of both resisting and exploiting gaps. The result could hinge on how effectively Betis exploit home advantage and whether Athletic can manage their European commitments while maintaining domestic momentum.
Commentary: A win for Athletic would reinforce their early-season momentum and their ability to compete on multiple fronts, while Betis will be eager to reinforce their European ambitions by denying Athletic space and turning possession into pressure in the final third.
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