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Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Andrew Headspeath

Real Betis vs. Real Madrid: Preview, Predictions and Lineups

Real Madrid travel to Seville to face Real Betis on Friday night for their sixth match of what has been a bruising month.

April has seen Los Blancos exit the Champions League and lose ground in the title chase, after a four-game winless run that came to an end with Tuesday’s unconvincing 2–1 victory over relegation-threatened Alavés.

Just 72 hours from that return to winning ways at the Bernabéu, Madrid face Europe-chasing Betis at La Cartuja—an altogether different challenge.

The game gives Real Madrid the opportunity to close the gap on Barcelona at the top of the La Liga table to six points, at least for one night, and put some mild pressure on their rivals. However, the short turnaround between fixtures puts pressure on Álvaro Arbeloa’s squad with several fitness issues to be managed.


Real Betis vs. Real Madrid Score Prediction

Madrid Face Tricky Test Away in Seville

Álvaro Arbeloa (right) with Jude Bellingham and Vinícius Junior.
Álvaro Arbeloa’s team face an opponent with a strong home record. | M Gracia Jimenez/Soccrates/Getty Images

With six games remaining, Madrid will need to be perfect to keep any hope of catching Barcelona alive.

Just three days after the win over Alavés, they come up against a dangerous opponent in Manuel Pellegrini’s Betis.

The hosts are on a seven-match unbeaten run at La Cartuja and will be desperate to finish the season as strongly as possible, with the chance that fifth spot in the table could secure a Champions League berth for next season. Additionally, with three goals and two assists in his last three outings, former Barça man Abde Ezzalzouli poses a real threat down the left wing.

  • La Liga head-to-head record: Real Madrid have won four of their last ten previous meetings against Betis, and ran out 5–1 victors in the reverse fixture back in January. However, they have not won away at Betis in their three most recent trips to Seville, last picking up all three points in 2021.
  • Real Madrid’s poor defensive run continues: Arbeloa’s team have now failed to keep a clean sheet in their last eight matches, while Andriy Lunin is yet to enjoy a shutout this season. Betis have only twice failed to score at home in La Liga this season.
  • Betis become kings of the draw at La Cartuja: Betis’ last four games at their temporary home have ended in draws, while they have not been defeated at La Cartuja in La Liga since Barcelona’s visit back in December.

Prediction: Real Betis 1–1 Real Madrid


Real Betis Predicted Lineup vs. Real Madrid

Real Betis predicted lineup to face Real Madrid
Betis are unbeaten at La Cartuja in their last seven in La Liga. | FotMob

As his team continues to push for Europe, Pellegrini has a relatively clean bill of health going into Friday’s encounter.

Backup left back Junior Firpo is the only known absentee, while fellow defenders Diego Llorente and Ángel Ortiz are doubts.

Full backs Aitor Ruibal and Valentín Gómez are among those who could be rotated out after Tuesday’s 3–2 away win over Girona.

Real Betis predicted lineup vs Real Madrid (4-2-3-1): Valles; Bellerín, Bartra, Natan, Rodríguez; Amrabat, Roca; Antony, Fornals, Ezzalzouli; Hernández


Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Real Betis

Real Madrid predicted lineup to face Real Betis.
Defensive rotation is expected after the midweek game. | FotMob

With this match coming so close on the heels of the win over Alavés, rotation is to be expected—especially in defense, with several issues to manage.

Éder Militão is reportedly out for the season after picking up a hamstring injury on Tuesday, while the full-backs could be switched out for fresher options.

Disappointingly, Arda Güler also sustained an injury against Alavés, with the remainder of his campaign now in doubt.

Thibaut Courtois, Rodrygo and Raúl Ascenio are Madrid’s other absentees.


What Time Does Real Betis vs. Real Madrid Kick Off?

  • Location: Madrid, Spain
  • Stadium: Estadio La Cartuja
  • Date: Friday, April 24
  • Kick-off Time: 3:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. PT / 8:00 p.m. BST

How to Watch Real Betis vs. Real Madrid on TV, Live Stream

Country TV/Live Stream
United States ESPN Deportes, ESPN Select, fuboTV
United Kingdom Premier Sports 2, Premier Sports Player
Canada TSN+
Mexico Sky Sports Mexico, Sky+, izzi

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Real Betis vs. Real Madrid: Preview, Predictions and Lineups.

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