Betis vs Real Madrid: preview, team news, line-ups

Betis XI vs Real Madrid

Starting XI: Joel; Emerson, Bartra, Sidnei, Álex Moreno, Edgar, Guardado, Canales, Joaquín, Fekir and Loren.

Subs: Dani Martín, Mandi, Pedraza, Guido Rodríguez, Aleñá, Tello and Borja Iglesias.

Real Madrid XI vs Betis

Starting XI: Courtois; Militao, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo; Casemiro, Kroos, Modric; Lucas Vázquez, Vinicius and Benzema.

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Subs: Areola, Bale, Valverde, James, Mendy, Mariano and Rodrygo.

Betis vs Real Madrid preview

Real Madrid will look to restore their one-point lead at the top of the table when they travel to face Betis in Seville on Sunday evening (kick off, 21:00 CET).

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Find out here on what channel and what time the game gets underway wherever you are in the world.

Barcelona currently sit two points ahead of their title rivals after their rather unconvincing 1-0 win over Real Sociedad on Saturday, leaving the ball firmly in the court of Madrid, who have won three of their last five visits to the Estadio Benito Villamarín.

Zinedine Zidane’s side have lost two league games this season, both against clubs (Mallorca and Levante) in the bottom half of the table, an uncomfortable position in which 14th-placed Betis find themselves despite spending some 100 million euros in a squad overhaul this summer.

Currently going through somewhat of a drought after a prolific first half of the season, Karim Benzema will hope get on the scoresheet on Sunday night. The French centre forward has only managed one goal, against Atlético Madrid, since his memorable 95th-minute equalizer at Valencia on December 15. Sunday's clash in Seville presents him with another opportunity to get back to scoring ways.

Benzema will be joined up front by Vinicius, with the young Brazilian, who was this week voted Los Blancos’ player of the month for February, likely to get the nod over Gareth Bale following his goal in the 2-0 Clásico win last Sunday. Behind those two, Zidane will likely opt for the solid midfield quartet of Luka Modric, Fede Valverde (Lucas Vázquez starts instead), Casemiro and Toni Kroos. The biggest question marks surround the right-back position, where Marcelo and Ferland Mendy will be vying to start. (Marcelo gets the nod in the end)

The hosts, meanwhile, will have their work cut out to bring an end to their longest-running winless streak since January 2016. Rubi’s side have gone six games without a victory, drawing three and losing three, with their last three-point game coming against Getafe on January 19.

Striker Loren Morón brought an end to a 12-game drought in the 2-1 lost to Valencia last weekend to bring his tally to 11 goals. And Betis will likely need the 26-year-old Spaniard to be on scoring form again if they have any hopes of getting something out of the game. Betis’ other danger man is French-Algerian attacking midfielder Nabil Fekir, who has scored in three of his last four games and has seven league goals to his name in total.

Betis vs Real Madrid: Injuries and Suspensions

The hosts will be without Diego Laines and Juanmi through injury, while William Carvalho is also a doubt after he missed last week’s game against Valencia with muscular problems.

Zinedine Zidane, meanwhile, is missing the long-term injured Marco Asensio (out since the pre-season with an ACL injury) and Belgian striker Eden Hazard, who underwent an ankle operation in Dallas during the week, with hopes that he will return for the final few games of the season. Neither side has any suspended players for Sunday’s clash.

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Betis vs Real Madrid: What the managers said

Zinedine Zidane: (Real Madrid): "They're a really good team and they'll be tough opposition, even if they have had a few problems with results. It'll be a physical battle and we'll have to be on our mettle tactically."