Real Madrid’s outstanding start to the 2026-27 La Liga season will be tested when they visit Real Betis in Seville on Friday, with a price of 1.53 available on both teams to score.
The fixture at La Cartuja, which begins the fourth round of the campaign, brings together one of the two elite clubs based in Seville and the current co-leader of the Spanish top flight. Nasser Eddy, a consultant for NCI Sport and presenter of the European Champions League on radio Nostalgie, has offered his assessment and predictions for the match.
Real Betis made a confident start to the season, beating Real Sociedad and Valencia CF 1-0 in their opening two games. However, that promising beginning was interrupted last Saturday when they suffered a heavy 5-2 defeat away to Levante.
The result was difficult to explain against opponents who appeared, on paper, to be within their reach. It was also a sharp contrast to the form shown by Manuel Pellegrini’s side during pre-season, when they recorded emphatic victories over clubs including Arsenal and Lyon.
Real Betis still controlled much of the match against Levante, enjoying more than 60% possession and winning eight corners to their opponents’ five. The defeat may have been caused in part by overconfidence after their two victories, but it does not erase the positive signs from the opening weeks.
The Verdiblancos have scored in each of their three league matches. Their four goals have been evenly divided between the two halves, with 50% coming before the interval and the remaining 50% after it. They have looked balanced, willing to take the initiative and capable of maintaining their level throughout matches, particularly when facing teams of a similar standard.
Real Madrid represent a significantly greater challenge.
The “White House” have won all three of their league games and, as usual, are among the leading contenders for the title alongside FC Barcelona. Their campaign began with a narrow 2-1 victory over Espanyol Barcelona, followed by much more comfortable wins against Real Sociedad and Malaga, by 4-1 and 4-0 respectively.
Those results give Real Madrid an average of more than three goals per game. Their attacking threat has been driven by several world-class players, including Kylian Mbappe, who has scored four goals in three matches, Jude Bellingham, with two goals and two assists, and Vinicius Junior, who has contributed one goal and two assists.
There is also considerable strength among the younger players competing for opportunities, including Yan Diomande, Brahim Diaz, Arda Guler and Franco Mastantuono.
That depth gives manager Jose Mourinho the option to rotate his squad without expecting a significant drop in performance. Real Madrid have had the greater share of possession in each of their matches and are averaging seven corners per game. Bernardo Silva and his team-mates have also opened the scoring in all three fixtures, with each first goal arriving in the opening half.
Despite that impressive sequence, Real Madrid will be wary of the recent history of this fixture in Seville.
They lead the overall head-to-head record comfortably, winning 17 of the past 30 meetings with Real Betis. One of their biggest recent victories came in January 2026, when they defeated Betis 5-1 at Santiago Bernabeu.
Their away record in this fixture has been far less convincing, however. Real Madrid have not won on their past four visits to Estadio Benito Villamarin and La Cartuja, recording one defeat and three draws. The most recent of those was a 1-1 draw at the end of April, a result which proved costly for Florentino Perez’s side in the title race.
One of the main points of interest on Friday will be Yan Diomande. The Ivory Coast international was one of Real Madrid’s major summer signings after an exceptional season at Leipzig, with the transfer reported to be worth almost 40m euros including bonuses.
He made an immediate impression in his first league appearance against Espanyol Barcelona, showing glimpses of the individual skill that has made him such a highly rated prospect. Diomande has started each of Real Madrid’s first three league games on the bench but has come on in every match.
Although he has not yet secured a starting place, the young winger is expected to earn more playing time as the season develops. Mourinho has indicated that Diomande will have opportunities to respond to the intense competition within the Madrid squad.
Real Madrid are the clear favourites on paper because of their emphatic start and outstanding individual talent. Yet Real Betis have managed to contain them at home since 2021 and, apart from last weekend’s setback, had been moving in the right direction.
A draw is priced at 5.13, while both teams to score is available at 1.53. One possible scenario is for Real Madrid to strike first before Betis recover to claim a point, with that outcome priced at 6.3.
A match featuring more than 11.5 corners is priced at 2.78, while Kylian Mbappe to score is available at 1.49.
Real Betis v Real Madrid takes place on Friday, 4 September 2026, with kick-off at 19:00 GMT.
Odds may change.