Jakarta - Real Madrid will open 2026 by hosting Real Betis in the continuation of La Liga at the Santiago Bernabeu, Sunday, January 4. This match is important for Los Blancos who are still chasing Barcelona at the top of the standings, while Betis comes with the ambition to keep the top six.
Real Madrid are currently in second place in the standings with 42 points from 18 games, four points behind Barcelona. Xabi Alonso's team closed 2025 with a positive trend through three consecutive victories, against Alaves and Sevilla in La Liga, and a 3-2 win over CF Talavera in the Copa del Rey.
Even so, Madrid had a shaky period towards the end of last year which made them lose their position at the top of the table. With Barcelona's consistency still maintained, the space for slipping is getting narrower for Los Blancos if they want to remain relevant in the title race.
After this match, Real Madrid's focus will turn to the Spanish Super Cup, where they are scheduled to face Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals, with a potential final against Barcelona or Athletic Bilbao. In the Champions League, Madrid is still keeping the opportunity, sitting in seventh place in the overall standings with a record of four wins and two losses.
Real Betis comes to the Bernabeu with a lot of confidence. Manuel Pellegrini's team closed 2025 with a convincing 4-0 win over Getafe and have won three of their last four games in all competitions.
Betis collected 28 points from 17 La Liga matches, placing them in sixth place, five points ahead of Celta Vigo in seventh place and five points behind Espanyol in fifth place. This season, Betis has only lost three times in the league, but seven draws have kept them in the upper middle of the table.
In the last meeting between the two teams in March 2025, Betis managed to defeat Real Madrid 2-1. However, in the home match at the Bernabeu last season, Los Blancos came out as the winner with a score of 2-0. Betis has also not won at the Bernabeu since May 2019, although four of the last seven league meetings ended in a draw.
In terms of the team, Real Madrid must perform without a number of key players. Dani Carvajal, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Eder Militao, Brahim Diaz, and Kylian Mbappe are confirmed to be absent. Mbappe's knee injury is a big blow, although there is hope that the French striker can return during the Spanish Super Cup. Gonzalo Garcia is expected to be trusted as the spearhead, although he has not scored a goal this season.
Real Betis also lost several important players. Isco, Cedric Bakambu, Abde Ezzalzouli, and Sofyan Amrabat are absent, while Junior Firpo and Diego Llorente are still in doubt. Pellegrini is expected to make few changes to the team composition, with Antony operating on the right side and Cucho Hernandez, the scorer of seven La Liga goals this season, being the focus of the front line.
Without Mbappe, Real Madrid does look more vulnerable. However, the home factor, squad depth, and pressure on the standings make Los Blancos still favored to secure the three points, although Betis is believed to be able to provide serious resistance.
The prediction of the score leads to a narrow victory for Real Madrid 2-1, a crucial result to keep the distance with Barcelona at the top of the standings.
The line-up:
Real Madrid: Courtois; Valverde, Huijsen, Rudiger, Carreras; Bellingham, Tchouameni, Guler; Rodrygo, G Garcia, Vinicius
Real Betis: Valles; Bellerin, Natan, Bartra, Gomez; Deossa, Roca; Antony, Fornals, Ruibal; Hernandez
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