Real Madrid vs. Real Betis: Team News, Preview, Live Stream, TV Info
Real Madrid need to keep the pressure up on Barcelona at the top of La Liga on Sunday when they host Real Betis at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Los Blancos trail their great rivals, who top the table, by a solitary point heading into this round of fixtures, although Madrid have played one game less. Barcelona face Deportivo La Coruna earlier on Sunday, meaning come kick-off at the Bernabeu, Madrid may have a deficit of four points to make up.
With their league status for next season all but secured, Betis can approach this one without pressure, and that should make for an entertaining game.
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Here's all the crucial information needed ahead of this one and a look how the contest is likely to pan out.
Date: Sunday, March 12
Time: 7:45 p.m. (GMT)/2:45 p.m. (ET)
TV Info: Sky Sports (UK), beIN Sports (U.S.)
Live Stream: Sky Go (UK), beIN Sports Connect (U.S.)
Team News
Real Madrid: Manager Zinedine Zidane will be without Gareth Bale following his red card against Las Palmas; midfielder Casemiro is also suspended for the game after picking up his fifth booking of the season against Eibar.
Likely XI: Keylor Navas; Dani Carvajal, Pepe, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo; Toni Kroos, Luka Modric; Isco, James Rodriguez, Cristiano Ronaldo; Karim Benzema
Real Betis: Jose Carlos is a long-term absentee for Betis, although aside from the young defender, manager Victor Sanchez has a full complement of players to choose from.
Likely XI: Antonio Adan; Cristiano Piccini, German Pezzella, Aissa Mandi, Alin Tosca, Riza Durmisi; Dani Ceballos, Ruben Pardo, Ryan Donk; Antonio Sanabria, Ruben Castro
Team news courtesy of Transfermarkt.
Match Preview
Madrid return to domestic action having enjoyed another memorable week in the UEFA Champions League, as a 3-1 win over Napoli at the San Paolo saw them clinch a 6-2 aggregate win over the Serie A side and book their place in the quarter-finals.
And once again, it was Ramos who came to the aid of his team when they were struggling. Napoli, who led the second leg 1-0, were rampant in the first period, but the skipper ended any hopes of a fightback with two headers in the second period.
Per the OptaJose Twitter feed, despite being a defender, he's one of Madrid's most reliable scorers:
Zidane will hope he doesn't have to rely on Ramos to bail his team out of this one, though, as Real will be big favourites to overcome Betis.
The team should be guarded against complacency, too. After all, the last time they played at the Bernabeu in La Liga, Las Palmas came so close to securing a big upset, as they led 3-1 moving into the latter stages of the game—two goals from Ronaldo ultimately rescued a point for the visitors.
Even so, Zidane will most likely make some tweaks to the team who fared so well in Naples. Indeed, as noted by Dermot Corrigan of ESPN FC, James Rodriguez and Marco Asensio, neither of whom are first-team regulars, excelled in last week's 4-1 triumph against Eibar:
Betis may look at how Las Palmas approached the game at the Bernabeu, with ambition and aggression, and attempt to mirror that blueprint.
After all, Sanchez's men are sat in 14th place in the table, nine points above the relegation zone, and are in no immediate danger of being relegated. They have some players capable of causing any team in La Liga problems, too.
Ceballos is one. The 20-year-old has blossomed this season, and Spanish football journalist David Cartlidge believes he can go on to play for one of the division's elite outfits:
The danger for Betis is that if they do approach the game with a bold mindset, an early goal would make it a long evening at the Bernabeu.
There's a chance Madrid may be a little jaded here, and without Bale, they could lack some thrust in the attacking third. However, Zidane has typically rotated his squad with tremendous skill so far this season, and the class of the hosts' attacking options will eventually see them to a comfortable victory.
Prediction: Real Madrid 2-0 Real Betis
