Betis vs. Madrid, the Battle Real
By Matt Smith
José Mourinho‘s side have won all three of their LaLiga games so far, scoring ten goals along the way. As was the case last season, Madrid still sit behind Barcelona, who have a superior goal difference.
Betis enjoyed a strong start to the campaign, winning their opening two matches. They did crumble last time out, however, losing 5-2 against Levante.
At home against Madrid, Betis are unbeaten in the last four meetings.
Team news
Betis will be out a trio of stars heading into this game. Diego Conde, Aitor Ruibal and Giovani Lo Celso will all be unavailable. Dani Ceballos could be in the squad to face his former club, after signing towards the end of the window.
Real Madrid also have injury troubles of their own, with Raúl Asencio, Ferland Mendy, Thiago Pitarch, Rodrygo, and Éder Militão all out injured. Aurélien Tchouaméni and Endrick could also be unavailable as the Madrid duo are doubts for this game.
Levante performance a freak result
Real Betis fans will undoubtedly be incredibly disappointed with their result against Levante last time out. Conceding five goals is never a positive, but based on their performance, it should be an anomaly.
Betis managed more shots, had 60% possession, and 46 touches inside the opposition box. Manuel Pellegrini’s side just struggled to find the back of the net, and on another day they may have won that comfortably.
Real Madrid looking dangerous in attack
Mourinho is well known for having his sides well drilled defensively, but Madrid have looked deadly in the final third this season. The Spanish giants have averaged nine shots on target per game, more than any other side, while scoring ten goals in just three games.
It does feel like there is also room for Madrid to go to another level too. Mourinho’s side have created 12 big chances compared to Barcelona’s 20, so they’ll be looking to take it up another level if they want to catch the champions.
Start as you mean to go on
Kylian Mbappé was on another level for Real Madrid last season, scoring a phenomenal 43 goals in 47 games. Hitting those numbers again will certainly be a difficult task, but he’s already giving it a good go in the opening four matches.
The French striker has scored four times already this season, with none of those coming from the penalty spot. If Madrid are going to pip Barcelona to the title, they’ll need Mbappé to enjoy another phenomenal season.
Prediction
A trip to Betis hasn’t been easy for Madrid in recent years, but they look incredibly assured this season. We’re going for a narrow 2-1 victory to Mourinho’s side in this game.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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