Overview
Real Betis has just experienced disappointment in the UEFA Europa League when they were eliminated by Braga in the quarter-finals. However, coach Manuel Pellegrini's team quickly regained their spirit with a 3-2 victory at Girona's stadium in La Liga.
After 32 rounds, Betis has 12 wins, 13 draws and 7 defeats, has 49 points and is ranked 5th in the standings. They are 5 points ahead of Celta Vigo in the race to win tickets to the Europa League.
Home ground is still an important support for Betis, as they have won 26 points after 15 matches and only lost 3 times. Despite defeating Real Madrid 2-1 last season, the Seville team lost heavily 1-5 in the first leg at the Bernabeu in January.
However, recent head-to-head record shows that Betis is not easily subdued. They have only lost 2 in their last 6 encounters in La Liga against Real Madrid, with 3 draws, including 2 draws at home.
On the other side, Real Madrid entered the match with excitement after a 2-1 victory over Alaves, with goals from Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius.
Although the chance of winning the championship is not high, the victory over Alaves is of great significance as it comes after a 4-match winless streak. Previously, Real Madrid was also eliminated from the UEFA Champions League by Bayern Munich, making the risk of going empty-handed this season increasingly clear.
This makes the summer transfer window predicted to be very exciting, along with the possibility of the team having changes on the coaching bench.
However, Real Madrid still maintains an impressive away form, with 30 points after 15 matches - the second best record in La Liga, including 9 wins.
The confrontation with Betis is therefore promised to be very tense, as one side wants to maintain its position in the European Cup group, while the other side nurtures a faint hope in the championship race.
Personnel situation
Real Betis will welcome Antony's return in this match, after the Brazilian player was absent from the match against Girona due to suspension.
In the opposite direction, Junior Firpo will not be able to play due to muscle injury, while Diego Llorente and Angel Ortiz still need to be assessed further on their fitness. However, the Benito Villamarin home team still maintains stable form before welcoming Real Madrid.
Abde Ezzalzouli is a big bright spot in the victory against Girona and is likely to continue to be on the left flank. Antony's return may make Giovani Lo Celso sit on the bench.
On Real Madrid's side, personnel losses are still a difficult problem. Rodrygo continues to be absent for a long time due to a knee injury, while goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has not yet recovered from a thigh injury.
Raul Asencio may return after recovering from illness, but Eder Militao is definitely absent due to a hamstring injury sustained in the victory over Alaves. This forces Antonio Rudiger to likely play a central defender pair with Dean Huijsen.
In attack, the duo Vinicius and Kylian Mbappe continue to be the biggest hope. The midfield still revolves around the trio of Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni.
Meanwhile, Arda Guler suffered a hamstring injury and is at risk of being out for the rest of the season, making Real Madrid's squad depth even more affected.
In the context that Betis has a more stable force, while Real Madrid is seriously damaged, the confrontation at Benito Villamarin promises to be a big challenge for the Royal team.
Expected lineup:
Real Betis: Valles, Bellerin, Bartra, Natan, Rodriguez, Amrabat, Roca, Antony, Fornals, Ezzalzouli, Hernandez.
Real Madrid: Lunin, Alexander-Arnold, Rudiger, Huijsen, Carreras, Valverde, Bellingham, Tchouameni, Diaz, Vinicius, Mbappe.
The match between Real Betis and Real Madrid takes place at 2:00 a.m. on April 25 (Vietnam time).
