Eight games unbeaten and yet the toughest test now awaits: Real Betis welcomes league leaders FC Barcelona to La Cartuja on Saturday afternoon at 5:30 p.m. For Betis, currently fifth with 24 points, it’s all about keeping in touch with the Champions League places, while Barcelona travel with 37 points and five league wins in a row. The recent 3-1 win against Atlético Madrid underlined the Catalans’ offensive strength, but at the same time, the loss of Dani Olmo weighs heavily, as he is expected to be out for about a month after dislocating his shoulder. Betis goes into this match with confidence, the team is unbeaten in eight competitive games and won the Copa round of 16 at Torrent with a clear 4-1 victory. However, coach Manuel Pellegrini will have to do without Giovani Lo Celso and Héctor Bellerín, who are out with muscle injuries, as well as Isco, and Sofyan Amrabat’s availability is still questionable after a break from training. In a direct comparison, the last five matches tend to favor Barcelona, with three wins and two draws, and Betis has been waiting for a league home win against Barça at La Cartuja since 2008. The most recent encounter in April ended 1-1. The betting market also reflects this situation, with Barcelona clearly favored.
- Venue: Estadio de La Cartuja, Seville
- Date and time: December 6, 2025, 6:30 p.m.
- Competition: La Liga (matchday 15)
In the betting market, Barcelona is the clear favorite with odds of around 1.7, while Betis is considered the underdog with odds of around 4.0, which is in line with their current form. Barcelona is unbeaten in 15 league games, has won four of its last five matches, and most recently celebrated a 3-1 victory over Atlético Madrid, in which key players such as Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Lamine Yamal confirmed their strong form. Betis are also in good form, with eight games without defeat and only two home defeats this season, but they have not won a league game against Barcelona at La Cartuja since 2008. In terms of personnel, the Andalusians will probably have to do without Lo Celso and Isco, and Amrabat is also doubtful, which will reduce their defensive stability and creativity in midfield and force coach Pellegrini to make adjustments. Both teams are known for high-scoring games, with all five of Barcelona’s most recent games ending with more than 2.5 goals, four of them with more than 3.5. Betis has scored in each of its last five games, but has conceded goals in four of them. It is also striking that both teams tend to improve in the second half, with Betis scoring at least one goal in every second half recently and Barcelona often deciding games late, often through substitutes. Accordingly, an open game with goals at both ends is likely, with an increased probability of late scenes in Barcelona’s favor.
Betis form & record check
Real Betis are in strong form, unbeaten in eight games, including three wins and two draws in their last five competitive matches. It is particularly noteworthy that Betis are the only Spanish club to remain unbeaten in Europe this season. The highlight of their recent results was the 2-0 derby win at Sevilla FC, in which the defense was very compact and the team showed great maturity. This was followed by close games such as two 1-1 draws against Girona and Valencia and a 2-1 win against Utrecht in the Europa League. In the cup, Betis won 4-1 against Torrent, with Riquelme shining with a hat trick. Betis are currently fifth in the table with 24 points, level on points with Espanyol, seven points behind the Champions League places and Atlético, which means qualification is possible but by no means a foregone conclusion. Betis have only suffered two home defeats at La Cartuja this season, against Athletic and Atlético. The team has been solid in attack, scoring in each of their last five games, with more than 1.5 goals in each of those matches. However, they have been vulnerable at the back, conceding at least one goal in four of their last five games, which could prove problematic against a strong Barcelona side who are on a five-game winning streak away from home and top the table with 37 points. In terms of personnel, two important players, Bellerín and Lo Celso, are out with muscle injuries, Isco is also unavailable, and Amrabat is questionable. In addition, there are limited rotation options because the Europa League game in Zagreb and then the away game in Vallecas are coming up shortly afterwards. From the end of December, there is also the threat of further absences due to the Africa Cup of Nations for Abde, Amrabat, and Bakambu. Tactically, Pellegrini is therefore likely to stick to a compact, controlled formation and rotate only cautiously. Against Barcelona, quick transitions, attacks down the wings, and set pieces are the most important weapons, precisely because Barcelona occasionally opens up space and Riquelme is in good form from set pieces. Overall, Betis are coming into the game with a lot of confidence and in good form, but they run the risk of having their defensive weaknesses ruthlessly exposed by Barcelona’s attack. To cause an upset, they will need to be highly disciplined and clinical in front of goal.
Despite the injury problems, coach Manuel Pellegrini is likely to stick with his tried-and-tested 4-2-3-1 formation. Bellerín, Lo Celso, and Isco are definitely out, with Bellerín’s muscle injury appearing to be the most serious. The biggest unknown is Sofyan Amrabat, who was unable to train on Tuesday. If he is ruled out, the defensive midfield will have to be reorganized. In attack, Cucho could play as a central striker with Abde, Fornals, and Antony in the attacking midfield roles behind him. Despite the absences, this lineup would still promise sufficient pace and goal-scoring threat.
Barcelona form & record check
Barcelona leads the league with 37 points, just one point ahead of Real Madrid, which means every game in the title race is crucial. Things are going very well in the league, with five wins in a row, most recently a 3-1 victory over Atlético Madrid. The offense is in top form, with Raphinha and Lewandowski scoring regularly and Lamine Yamal shining as a creative force. Many games have been high-scoring, with at least three goals scored in all five of their most recent matches, four of which ended with more than 3.5 goals. At the same time, defense remains an issue. The 3-0 defeat at Chelsea in the Champions League ruthlessly exposed their vulnerability. Overall, Barcelona have conceded goals in four of their last five games, often lacking stability and coordination. Internally, there are reports of doubts about coach Hansi Flick, which are mainly fueled by this defensive uncertainty. The personnel situation does not make things any easier, with Dani Olmo out until early January after dislocating his shoulder, Ronald Araújo missing for personal reasons after his red card at Chelsea, and Gavi, Fermín López, and goalkeeper ter Stegen unavailable for the long term. At least Pedri is back after about a month out and gives the midfield structure and control. Overall, Barcelona are extremely dangerous in attack at the moment, but the balance between attacking strength and defensive stability has not yet been found. With only a one-point lead over Real Madrid, Flick needs consistency and better protection against the ball to defend the top spot and at the same time deliver more convincing performances in the Champions League.
Coach Hansi Flick is expected to start with a 4-2-3-1 formation. In attack, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Rashford are expected to play behind center forward Lewandowski. The midfield lineup remains exciting, with Pedri back from his thigh injury and likely to start, alongside Eric García, who is expected to take on the defensive midfield role in which he impressed against Atlético Madrid when Frenkie de Jong was ruled out at short notice. Overall, the team has a few absences to contend with. Ronald Araújo is out indefinitely for personal reasons, Frenkie de Jong is battling a feverish infection, Dani Olmo is expected to be out for about a month after dislocating his shoulder against Atlético, and Gavi and Fermín López are out long-term and unavailable to Flick.
Betis – Barcelona Head-to-head & Statistics
The record of the last five head-to-head matches is sobering for Real Betis, with no wins, three defeats, and two draws, showing Barcelona’s clear dominance. It is striking that Barcelona led at halftime in all five games, while Betis never went into the break with a lead, a pattern that points to recurring problems for the Andalusians in the early stages. The results in detail: December 2024 2-2, April 2025 1-1, January 2025 in the Copa quarterfinals 1-5, January 2024 2-4, September 2023 0-5 at Camp Nou. Four of these five encounters ended with more than 3.5 goals, underlining the open, fast-paced nature of this pairing. Barcelona scored at least one goal before the break in all five games and scored in every game, while Betis conceded goals throughout but also scored at least once in four of these encounters. Overall, Barcelona clearly dominated the series, especially in the early stages. Betis needs to be much more stable in the early stages to avoid conceding early goals and get closer to positive results again.
