Real Madrid face Betis selection test as both sides deal with absences

Real Madrid travel to Sevilla looking to follow up their emphatic 4-0 victory over Malaga, but they will face a Real Betis side that has made a strong start to the Spanish league season.

Betis have won two of their opening three matches and will aim to continue that form when they host Real Madrid in the fourth round of the championship. Both managers must nevertheless manage significant injury problems before naming their starting line-ups.

Manuel Pellegrini will be without several players for the home side. Giovani Lo Celso remains unavailable in midfield, while Jose Morante, Gonzalo Petit and Aitor Ruibal are all ruled out in attack because of injuries.

The expected Real Betis line-up is:

Goalkeeper: Valles

Defenders: Bellerin, Bartra, Natan, Garcia

Midfielders: Bernal, Roca, Antony, Fornals, Riquelme

Striker: Hernandez

That selection would give Pellegrini a side featuring a single central forward, with support provided from a five-man midfield. Betis will hope their positive start to the campaign can offset the number of missing players, particularly in the attacking positions.

Jose Mourinho is also expected to make changes because of absences within his squad. Raul Asencio, Eder Militao and Ferland Mendy are unavailable in defence, while Aurelien Tchouameni is injured in midfield. Real Madrid will also be without Endrick and Rodrygo in attack.

The expected Real Madrid line-up is:

Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois

Defenders: Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate, Antonio Rudiger, Marc Cucurella

Midfielders: Federico Valverde, Bernardo Silva

Attackers: Yan Diomande, Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr, Kylian Mbappe

The proposed formation includes four attacking players, with Bellingham positioned among the supporting forwards behind Vinicius Jr and Mbappe. Real Madrid will be seeking another convincing result after their 4-0 success against Malaga, while Betis will look to exploit home advantage and maintain their early momentum.

The match is the fourth league fixture of the season for Real Betis and comes against a Real Madrid team expected to be among the leading contenders. The meeting in Sevilla therefore represents an early test of Betis’ progress, as well as an opportunity for Real Madrid to build consistency.

Betting company 1xBet lists Real Betis at odds of 7.00 to win. A draw is priced at 5.50, while Real Madrid are rated at 1.40 to claim victory. The source article also contains a reference allowing readers to download 1xBet.

With both teams carrying a number of injuries, the final line-ups could differ from the predicted selections. The availability of key players will be assessed before kick-off, but the announced absences already point to a demanding contest for both Pellegrini and Mourinho.