Real Betis vs Real Madrid – 05/03/2023
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Real Madrid will be looking to keep pace with Barcelona in the race for the La Liga title when they face Real Betis at the Estadio Benito Villamarin on Sunday night.
With 23 games in the books, Real Madrid find themselves second in the table – seven points behind Barcelona and nine points clear of third-placed Real Sociedad.
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— LaLiga English (@LaLigaEN) February 27, 2023
Meanwhile, Real Betis occupy fifth place in the standings. It is worth noting, however, that Manuel Pellegrini’s side trail Los Blancos by 12 points.
Real Betis came from two goals down to beat Elche 3-2 last time out, with Willian Jose scoring the winner deep into second-half stoppage time.
As a result, Betis head into Sunday’s showdown on a three-game winning streak, having dispatched Almeria and Real Valladolid before beating Elche.
That said, it is worth pointing out that Betis have lost five of their last nine games in all competitions, with their last draw coming all the way back in December.
With a solitary victory coming in their previous seven home matches, Real Betis could struggle to contain title-chasing Real Madrid.
As for Los Blancos, they come into this game on the back of a 1-0 defeat to Barcelona in the Copa del Rey semi-finals.
Thursday’s defeat ended a six-match unbeaten streak for Real Madrid, with five consecutive victories preceding a 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid.
When you look at the bigger picture, Carlo Ancelotti’s men have lost just two of their past 13 games – picking up nine wins and two draws along the way.
Better still, Real Madrid have scored at least one goal in each of their last eight away games against Real Betis, so they shouldn’t struggle to find the net on Sunday.
Head-to-head: Real Madrid claimed a 2-1 victory in the reverse fixture back in September, extending their unbeaten run against Real Betis to five games.
Given that Betis have only managed to win two of their past 10 meetings with Los Blancos, Ancelotti’s side are in pole position to claim all three points this time around.
Team news: Real Betis will be without the injured quintet of Nabil Fekir, Sergio Canales, Rui Silva, Edgar Gonzalez and Juan Cruz this weekend.
Luka Modric is suspended for Real Madrid, while David Alaba is injured. Plus, Ferland Mendy remains a doubt for Sunday’s clash.
Having lost to arch-rivals Barcelona in midweek, Real Madrid will be eager to bounce straight back and extend their strong run against Betis.
Forebet predicts that both teams will score at the the Estadio Benito Villamarin. However, Real Madrid should have more than enough firepower to outscore the hosts.
