Real Madrid is poised to keep their hopes of challenging for the La Liga title alive as they prepare to face Real Betis at the Santiago Bernabeu this Sunday. With Barcelona playing against Espanyol the day before, Madrid could find themselves trailing their rivals by seven points by the time kick-off arrives, a situation that further narrows their margin for error in the title race.
Madrid enters this match on the back of a reassuring 2-0 victory over Sevilla, securing their first consecutive league wins since November. Goals from rising stars Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe were pivotal in that success. However, with Mbappe now sidelined due to a knee injury sustained in training, the pressure is on other players to step up and perform against Betis.
Historically, Madrid has a strong record against Betis, having lost only once in their last 10 encounters since September 2020. That solitary defeat came in their latest clash in March, where they led initially through Brahim Diaz, only to be overturned by goals from Johnny Cardoso and Isco.
This match also serves as a key fixture for Madrid before they head off to Saudi Arabia for the Spanish Super Cup, where they will face their city rivals, Atletico Madrid.
Real Betis, managed by Manuel Pellegrini, is having a commendable season, following up a successful 2024-25 campaign where they finished sixth in La Liga and reached the Europa Conference League final. Currently, Betis is enjoying a robust run, having gone 12 games unbeaten in their last 13 across all competitions after an emphatic 4-0 victory over Getafe.
Betis has only lost three matches this season, a record bettered only by the top two teams in the league. They’ve played seven draws, primarily away from home, meaning they would likely be content to leave the Bernabeu with a point. Additionally, with three consecutive clean sheets under their belt, it could pose a challenging task for them to maintain this against a high-scoring Madrid side that has rarely failed to find the net at home in the past year.
As both teams gear up for what promises to be an intense showdown, the stakes are high, especially for Madrid, as they look to remain competitive in the title race. The outcome of this match could be crucial in shaping the momentum for both sides moving forward in the season.