Irregular and unpredictable Real Madrid, capable of giving Liverpool a hand in Anfield cathedral and of staying dry days later against Atlético and Barça, faces a key duel this Sunday at the Benito Villamarín. Against a rival “very organized and who plays very attractive”, as Carlo Ancelotti warned the day before, the champion is obliged to win to follow the lead of the leader and recover from the moral blow caused by the cup defeat on Thursday in the classic .
Madrid needs to recover the gunpowder, although apparently their coach is not worried about the offensive difficulties. “We are the team that has scored the most goals in LaLiga. We don’t have a problem, in the last two games yes, but three days before we scored five at Anfield », he recalled.
Verses aside, no one escapes that their team needs much more from Benzema and Vinicius, dried up in recent appointments by Nahuel Molina, with the collaboration of Savic, and by the impenetrable Ronald Araujo. Against Barça, Madrid dominated a lot but did not shoot on goal, a negative record at the Bernabéu for as long as statistics have been available.
Madrid stands in Heliópolis without Modric, sanctioned, and without the injured Alaba and Mendy. Valverde will return to midfield, Ceballos is expected to start against his former team and surely Rodrygo will accompany Benzema and Vini in the trident.
Pellegrini flowers
Opposite, Betis yearns for a fourth consecutive victory to remain firm in the battle for the Champions League against Real Sociedad and Atlético. Three teams for two places. Almería, Valladolid and Elche, with enormous Martínez Valero controversy, have been the latest victims of the Verdiblancos, who now face, according to Manuel Pellegrini, “the most difficult rival in LaLiga.”
«Real Madrid always goes for everything, it is not a problem that they have lost a game or have not scored a goal. It is a team that always goes out to win everywhere, that has very important individualities and that plays soccer very well,” warned the Chilean coach, who meets his former team again. He does so with two important absences: Canales, who suffers a hamstring injury, and Frenchman Fekir, who underwent surgery this week for his left knee anterior cruciate ligament tear.
probable lineups
Betis: Bravo, Sabaly, Luiz Philip, Pezzella, Miranda, Ayoze, Guido, Carvalho, Rodri, Juanmi and Borja Churches.
Real Madrid: Courtois, Carvajal, Militao, Rüdiger, Nacho, Valverde, Tchouaméni, Ceballos, Rodrygo, Vinícius and Benzema.
Referee: Soto Grado (Riojan Committee).
Estadio: Benito Villamarin.
Hour: 9:00 p.m./Movistar LaLiga.
