Real Betis and Real Madrid meet in high-profile La Liga test before European campaigns

Real Betis host Real Madrid at La Cartuja in Seville on Friday, 4 September 2026, with both sides preparing for their UEFA Champions League campaigns. The match, which begins at 19:00 GMT, will open the fourth round of La Liga and offers a significant early test between two teams who qualified for next season’s European competition.

The fixture will be broadcast on beIN Sports in France, ESPN+ in the United States, Sky Sports in the United Kingdom, DAZN in Canada, Germany, Portugal and Spain, and Canal+ Sport and New World Sport in Africa.

Real Madrid hold the better recent record in this fixture. Across the past five meetings, they have recorded two wins and two draws, while Real Betis have won once. That victory came in Seville in March 2025, when Real Betis prevailed 2-1.

The most recent encounter was also played at La Cartuja and ended in a 1-1 draw.

Real Betis finished fifth in La Liga last season, a result that secured their place in the UEFA Champions League. Manuel Pellegrini’s side began the current league campaign with victories over Real Sociedad and Valencia, but their momentum was checked emphatically last weekend when they were beaten 5-2 by Levante.

That defeat leaves Real Betis looking to respond against one of the division’s strongest teams. The match also gives them the opportunity to make an early statement before their European fixtures begin.

Real Madrid, meanwhile, have won all three of their league matches so far. They opened with a narrow 2-1 victory away to Espanyol, before producing more convincing performances against Real Sociedad and Malaga. They beat Real Sociedad 4-1 and then defeated Malaga 4-0.

Those results have put Real Madrid second in the table, level on points with Barcelona. Their perfect start, combined with their recent record against Real Betis, makes them the clear favourites going into Friday’s game.

The pre-match probabilities give Real Madrid a 69% chance of victory. A draw is rated at 18%, while Real Betis are given a 13% chance of taking all three points.

Africafoot’s prediction is a draw, listed as 1-3.

Betting company 1xBet has priced a Real Betis victory at 7.00, with a draw at 5.50 and a Real Madrid win at 1.40. The match will take place at La Cartuja in Seville and kick off at 19:00 GMT on Friday, 4 September.