Article by Dragoș Petrescu – Published on Sunday, 04 January 2026, 10:59 / Updated on Sunday, 04 January 2026 11:00
real madrid and Real Betisthe formations prepared by Xabi Alonso and Manuel Pellegrini, will meet today, from 17:15, at the Santiago Bernabeu, in one of the most anticipated duels in round number #18 in La Liga.
The complete program of stage #18 of La Liga
The match can be watched in liveTEXT format on the GSP.ro website and live on TV on the PrimaSport 1 and DigiSport 1 channels.
Real Madrid – Real Betis » LIVE from 17:15
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Real Madrid – Real Betis » Probable teams:
REAL MADRID (4-4-2): Courtois – Valverde, Asencio, Rudiger, Carreras – Guler, Tchouameni, Camavinga, Bellingham – Rodrygo, Vinicius Jr.
Coach: Xabi Alonso
REAL BETIS (4-2-3-1): Valles – Ortiz, Bartra, Natan, Rodriguez – Deossa, Roca – Antony, Fornals, Ruibal – Cucho Hernandez
Coach: Manuel Pellegrini
Stadium: Estadio Santiago Bernabeu (Madrid)
Referee: Alejandro Jose Hernandez
The “Galacticos” are in dire need of victory in order not to lose contact with Barcelona for good
The “blanco” line-up comes after two consecutive victories in the championship (2-0 “at home” against Sevilla, respectively 2-1 on the field of Deportivo Alaves), but Barcelona's excellent course domestically keeps Real Madrid at a distance.
At this moment, the deficit of the “Galacticos” against the Blaugrana line-up measures no less than seven points. However, a win today would see the Santiago Bernabeu outfit move back to within four lengths of the leaders.
However, the squad problems are giving Xabi Alonso a lot of trouble. For the match against Betis, the Spanish technician will not have five basic players at his disposal, the most important absence being, of course, that of Kylian Mbappe, the number one man for the last year and a half at Real Madrid.
The French superstar has ligament problems in his left knee and will miss the Spanish vice-champion's first matches of the new year.
In addition to Mbappe, however, Alonso will not be able to count on Trent Alexander-Arnold, Eder Militao and Dean Huijsen, also due to physical problems, while Brahim Diaz is present at the Africa Cup of Nations, alongside the Moroccan national team.
Furthermore, Dani Carvajal is also not fully fit due to knee problems and could miss this afternoon's game.
Betis can take advantage of Espanyol's defeat
On the other hand, the group from Andalusia comes after the categorical success at home against Getafe, score 4-0, a result that allowed Manuel Pellegrini's team to end 2025 on a place in the European Cup.
At the moment, Betis is 6th in La Liga, a position that ensures participation in the UEFA Conference League next season.
With a win today, however, “los verdiblancos” will come within two lengths of Espanyol, the team in 5th place (Europa League position), who lost Saturday night in the Catalan derby, 0-2 “at home” to Barcelona.
However, similar to his counterpart today, Pellegrini also faces significant squad issues. In addition to Sofyan Amrabat, Abde Ezzalzouli and Cedric Bakambu (left for CAN), the Chilean technician will not be able to count on the services of former “galactic” Isco, who is injured.
La Liga standings:
