Real Betis Balompié host unbeaten leaders FC Barcelona at the Estadio de la Cartuja this Saturday aiming to end a poor run. The Verdiblancos, third in LaLiga with 19 points, have not beaten the Catalans in the league since December 2021.
The ninth-round fixture pits two in-form sides against each other. Betis arrive off a 3-2 Champions League win over Porto and are on a run of four wins and a draw in their last five matches across all competitions. Their goalkeeper, Álvaro Vallés, leads the division with an average of 4.3 saves per match. Meanwhile, Barcelona have matched the club's historical record with eight wins from their first eight league games.
The key for Manuel Pellegrini's side could lie in their midfield. Isco, who scored a brace against Osasuna and a penalty against Porto, is the main orchestrator. Alongside Pablo Fornals and Marc Roca, they will need to find the passes to feed wingers Antony and Ez Abde, and striker Cucho Hernández. The last meeting, in December 2025, ended 5-3 to Barcelona, underlining the need for a compact defence.
Pellegrini acknowledges the historical challenge. "We must overcome a poor personal record of 29 defeats in 40 meetings with Barcelona," the Chilean coach said. Opposite him, Hansi Flick trusts his squad despite the absence of injured top scorer Raphinha. "The team is flying with eight wins from eight, and has shown its strength in depth," the German stated.
Betis will play this clash, and subsequent ones, at La Cartuja while the Benito Villamarín undergoes reconstruction. Fans travelling to the north of Seville will find a stadium guaranteed to be rocking. To check the status of the team's injury absentees, such as Juan Miranda, Héctor Bellerín and Aitor Ruibal, you can visit the injuries page. The schedule for upcoming fixtures, including the Champions League visit of Feyenoord, is available in our fixtures section.
Trailing the leaders by five points, a win would bring Betis closer to the title race. Kick-off is at 18:30 local time on Saturday 17 October.
