Real Betis host Real Madrid this Friday after suffering a heavy 5-2 defeat against Levante, a side expected to be fighting to avoid relegation this season. Betis had previously picked up 1-0 wins over both Real Sociedad and Valencia, so the defeat was a clear step backwards for the Seville-based side.
The Champions League returns next week, meaning both teams could potentially rotate their squads or make changes to give more playing time to players who have featured less so far. I think this could be the approach Mourinho takes, with players such as Diomande, Güler, Espi and Bernardo Silva likely to start at least one of the three games they will play over those seven days.
Betis will also make their Champions League debut against Lille, so Pellegrini is likely to make some changes of his own across the upcoming fixtures.
Either way, this kind of squad rotation should favor Real Madrid, who have a deeper and arguably stronger squad than they had last season.
Real Madrid have made an excellent attacking start to the season. They beat Espanyol 2-1 with 2.70 xG, Real Sociedad 4-1 with 3.18 xG, and Málaga 4-0 with 2.62 xG. The attacking numbers have been very impressive, and this has come despite Vinícius Júnior still not being at his best and expected to improve as the season progresses.
It is difficult to see Real Madrid failing to score at least twice here, while there are relatively few scenarios where I can see them conceding two or more goals. For that reason, I find it hard to envisage anything other than a Real Madrid win.
Even if Mourinho decides to rotate here rather than in the Champions League, I wouldn't be put off. New arrivals such as Diomande, Espi and Bernardo Silva will be eager to impress both the manager and the fans, and I expect them to play with plenty of intensity.
Betis have managed to get some good results against Real Madrid in recent seasons, but I'm afraid the 2026/27 Real Madrid side looks like a completely different proposition from the team we saw last season.
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