Real Madrid’s Betis visit revives memories of a stubborn La Liga hoodoo

Real Madrid risk being drawn back into an unwanted chapter of their history when they visit Real Betis in La Liga on Friday, with recent meetings between the sides making the fixture a significant early test.

The team led by Jose Mourinho have won all three of their opening league matches this season, but their perfect record will face a stern challenge against a Real Betis side that has proved difficult for them to overcome in recent years.

According to Opta statistics, Real Betis have taken points in five of their past seven La Liga meetings with Real Madrid. During that run, Betis have recorded one victory and four draws, while Real Madrid have won twice.

Since the 2022-23 season, Real Madrid have dropped points against Atletico Madrid and Real Betis more often than any other opponents. They have failed to take maximum points in eight matches against each of those two clubs, compared with five such games against Rayo Vallecano.

The pattern is even more pronounced at Real Betis. Real Madrid have not won any of their past four league visits to the Andalusian club, drawing three and losing one.

That sequence followed a much stronger run in which Real Madrid had won five of their previous six away matches against Real Betis in La Liga, with only one defeat during that period.

The last time Real Madrid went five consecutive top-flight visits to Betis without winning was in February 1999. On that occasion, they drew three matches and lost two, a run that underlines the historical significance of their current record.

Real Madrid’s broader form against Andalusian opposition, however, offers some encouragement before Friday’s game. They have collected points in 21 of their past 22 away matches against clubs from the region in La Liga, winning 16 and drawing five.

The only exception in that sequence was a 2-1 defeat by Real Betis in March 2025.

That loss came after a less consistent period on the road against Andalusian sides. Between 2018 and 2020, Real Madrid lost three of their five previous away league matches against teams from the region, recording two victories alongside those three defeats.

The latest meeting therefore brings together two contrasting trends: Real Madrid’s strong overall record against Andalusian opposition and their unusually difficult recent record specifically at Real Betis. Their unbeaten start under Jose Mourinho will be tested by a fixture that has repeatedly frustrated them and, for the first time in many years, carries echoes of the club’s unsuccessful run of visits to Betis during the late 1990s.

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