Real Madrid travel to Real Betis on Friday at 21:00 local time at the La Cartuja stadium in Seville, looking for a fourth consecutive LaLiga win of the season under coach Jose Mourinho.
Ahead of the Champions League, Mourinho is not planning to rotate his squad as heavily as he did against Malaga CF. Mourinho, who previously managed Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013, has won his first three league matches back in charge of the club, scoring ten goals in the process. Real Madrid beat Espanyol, Real Sociedad and Malaga CF with authority in the opening three rounds.
Five years without a win in Seville
The trip to La Cartuja is the first real test of whether Mourinho's rebuilt side can win on Sevillian soil, where Real Madrid have gone more than five years without a victory, with three draws and one defeat there since August 2025.
Kylian Mbappe arrives at the match with four goals from the first three matchdays and remains the team's leading attacking threat. Jude Bellingham, who scored against Malaga CF, is set to play behind Mbappe in the 4-2-3-1 formation Mourinho has established as his base structure, with Federico Valverde a fixture in central midfield. On the left, Vinicius Junior previously scored against Betis in the two clubs' last league meeting. Denzel Dumfries (or Trent Alexander-Arnold) and Marc Cucurella are the likely full backs, while Dean Huijsen is expected to partner either Ibrahima Konate or Antonio Rudiger at centre back.
Long injury list for Real Madrid
Mourinho's rotation options are limited by a lengthy injury list. Aurelien Tchouameni, Raul Asencio, Ferland Mendy, Eder Militao, Rodrygo Goes, Endrick and Thiago Pitarch are all unavailable for the trip to Seville.
Pellegrini's fortress under pressure
Betis coach Manuel Pellegrini has turned La Cartuja into a stronghold since 31 August 2025, losing there only twice in that period, most recently against FC Barcelona in December. Betis won their opening two matches of the season against Real Sociedad and Valencia CF, results that took Pellegrini past 100 league wins in charge of the club.
A 5-2 defeat to Levante UD at the Ciutat de Valencia, however, raised questions about Betis's defensive solidity. Diego Llorente and Marc Bartra are competing for a place alongside Natan in central defence, and Pellegrini could make changes following that loss. Betis are also missing Giovani Lo Celso, Aitor Ruibal and Ez Abde, while Dani Ceballos, who returned to the club that developed him as a youth player, has barely trained with the squad and is a further absentee.
Referee, broadcast and the week ahead
The match will be refereed by Hernandez Hernandez, of the Las Palmas committee, and broadcast on M+ LaLiga. The game carries the added interest of a tactical duel between Mourinho and Pellegrini, with Real Madrid's recent history at the stadium weighing on the visitors. Sergio Martinez, who recently joined from Racing Club, will be on the Real Madrid bench as an emergency option for Mourinho.
Predicted lineups
Real Betis (probable): Valles; Bellerin, Llorente, Natan, Fran Garcia; Marc Roca, Bernal, Fornals; Antony, Cucho Hernandez and Riquelme.
Real Madrid (probable): Courtois; Dumfries, Konate, Huijsen, Cucurella; Valverde, Bernardo Silva; Guler, Bellingham, Vinicius; and Mbappe.
