Real Madrid is looking forward to continuing its perfect start to the season when it visits Real Betis today in the opening of the fourth round of the Spanish League, looking to be alone at the top, even if temporarily.
Real Madrid enters the match looking for a fourth victory in a row that will give it the opportunity to temporarily take the lead before Barcelona's match against its host Valencia on Sunday, while Betis is trying to regain its balance a few days before the start of its campaign in the Champions League.
Real Madrid appears to be in a more stable position after scoring 9 points from its first 3 matches and scoring 10 goals, in a successful start for Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho in his second term with the Royal Club.
After the difficult 2-1 victory over Espanyol in the opening round, Real imposed its attacking superiority against Real Sociedad and Malaga, scoring 4 goals in each match, providing indications that it has multiple attacking options, in the presence of Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and Arda Guler.
What is striking about Real Madrid's beginning is not limited to the number of goals, but also its ability to find solutions through more than one source. Which puts the Betis defense in front of a complex task, especially after the image it showed in the 2-5 loss to Levante in the last round.
Betis started the season with two successive victories, over Real Sociedad and Valencia, but lost its balance against Levante after taking the lead twice before conceding 3 goals in the second half, which is a problem that coach Manuel Pellegrini cannot ignore against a competitor with greater attacking power.
However, Betis will not enter the match surrendering to his guest; He has a good record in his recent confrontations with Real Madrid at home, after avoiding loss in the last 4 matches between the two teams, including a 1-1 draw last April with a goal in stoppage time. The team also scored in its last 11 league matches; Which gives him a real opportunity to exploit any spaces left by Real Madrid, especially if the visitors rush in search of an early goal.
The importance of the match increases for Betis because he is approaching his first appearance in the Champions League in 21 years, as he will face French club Lille next Tuesday. Therefore; The team will have to deal with two different matches within a few days, and try to regain confidence without exhausting its members before the European date. As for Real Madrid, it seeks to capitalize on the current momentum and temporarily expand the gap with Barcelona, with the continued need to manage the prolonged absences of Rodrigo, Ferlan Mendy, Thiago Petarch and Raul Asensio, who is facing disciplinary investigations, while Eder Militao is still suffering from an injury that will keep him out for a long time.
On Thursday, Mourinho announced that the club had opened a disciplinary investigation against defender Asensio, against the backdrop of his involvement in a number of cases and matters outside the green rectangle.
The 23-year-old player, who graduated from the Royal Club Academy, was sentenced on Wednesday to a fine of 14,400 thousand euros (16,700 thousand dollars) and the withdrawal of his driver’s license for 8 months, on the grounds of driving under the influence of alcohol. Yesterday, he was put on trial in Gran Canaria in another case related to the leaking of a video recording of a sexual nature in 2023, which included two young women aged 16 and 18 years. According to the Spanish press, he is expected to be acquitted after he apologized to the two victims.
Mourinho confirmed that the club had opened a “disciplinary procedure” against the Spanish defender, and said: “Asensio is a model professional player. When he was physically fit, no one was training as hard as him. Despite his injury several weeks ago, he is the first to arrive and the last to leave, but the Real Madrid player remains committed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 12 months a year. Everything you do off the field represents the club and can harm its reputation and standing. I'm not happy. Everyone makes mistakes, but accumulating mistakes is different.
Asensio did not play this season due to a muscle injury.
Today's match will be a strong rehearsal for Real Madrid before it begins its journey in the Champions League with a very difficult confrontation against its Italian guest, Inter Milan, next Tuesday.
Atletico Madrid is replaced; Third in the standings with 7 points, visiting Athletic Bilbao tomorrow and before facing host Liverpool in the Champions League next Wednesday.
Tomorrow, Rayo Vallecano will also meet Racing Santander, and Villarreal will play against Deportivo La Coruna, while on Sunday Deportivo Alaves will play against Osasuna, Malaga will play against Levante, Espanyol will play against Seville, and on Monday, Getafe will play against Celta Vigo, and Elche will play against Real Sociedad.
