Real Betis and Atletico Madrid lock horns at the Estadio de la Cartuja on Monday night in what promises to be a fascinating La Liga encounter.
Real Betis vs Atletico Madrid – Match Preview and Team News
- Date: 27th October, Monday.
- Kick-off: 9pm BST.
- Venue: Estadio de la Cartuja, Sevilla.
Real Betis Team News
Manuel Pellegrini’s side will be without veteran playmaker Isco, who has been sidelined since early August following a fractured fibula sustained in a pre-season friendly against Malaga. The 33-year-old former Real Madrid star remains several weeks away from a competitive return. However, he recently made encouraging progress by walking without crutches on the training pitch.
With Isco unavailable, Giovani Lo Celso has stepped into the attacking midfield role and has performed admirably. The Argentine international scored in the 2-0 Europa League victory over Ludogorets and will be crucial to Betis’ creative output.
Sofyan Amrabat will anchor the midfield alongside Marc Roca, whilst former Manchester United winger Antony has hit form at the perfect time, scoring a brace in the dramatic 2-2 draw against Villarreal. The Brazilian now has two goals from his last three La Liga appearances and will look to continue his productive spell.
Cucho Hernandez leads the line for Los Verdiblancos. He has been in excellent form with four goals in his last four league outings, including the winner in the 2-1 victory over Espanyol.
Atletico Madrid Team News
Diego Simeone’s men arrive at the Estadio de la Cartuja looking to bounce back from a humiliating 4-0 Champions League defeat to Arsenal on Tuesday. The result ended their six-match unbeaten run across all competitions and exposed significant defensive vulnerabilities.
The Argentine manager admitted his side were comprehensively outplayed after the break. Viktor Gyokeres’ brace and goals from Gabriel Magalhaes and Gabriel Martinelli inflicted a chastening defeat. Simeone acknowledged that the loss was not due to bad luck, but rather individual errors that Arsenal ruthlessly punished.
On the injury front, Johnny Cardoso has returned to training after recovering from an ankle problem and could be available, though likely only as a substitute. The 24-year-old has missed the last week of action but his return provides a welcome boost to Simeone’s midfield options ahead of this crucial fixture.
Apart from Cardoso, Simeone has a fully fit squad to select from. Julian Alvarez remains the danger man in attack. The Argentine has six goals in nine La Liga appearances this season, making him the division’s second-top scorer. Alvarez will likely be partnered by Antoine Griezmann. Thiago Almada, who scored the winner against Osasuna, offers creative spark from midfield.
Form
Real Betis
Pellegrini’s side has been impressive in recent weeks, suffering only one defeat in their opening nine La Liga matches and currently sitting just outside the top four. Their momentum extends beyond domestic competition, as they remain unbeaten in the Europa League with one win and two draws.
In La Liga, Betis have won three of their last four league games, including a hard-fought 2-1 away victory at Espanyol and a comfortable 2-0 home win over Osasuna. Most recently, they battled back from 0-2 down to salvage a 2-2 draw against Villarreal, with Antony scoring both goals in a dramatic encounter.
Their Europa League campaign has been solid, securing a 2-0 away win at Ludogorets courtesy of goals from Lo Celso and an own goal, before playing out a goalless draw at Genk on Thursday. The Andalusian outfit boasts the joint-third best defensive record in La Liga, conceding just 10 goals in nine matches.
Atletico Madrid
Despite the midweek Champions League setback, Atletico have maintained a solid domestic run. Simeone’s side are currently unbeaten in their last eight La Liga matches with four wins and four draws. That said, this represents their joint-lowest points tally at this stage since the 2011/12 season, though on previous occasions, with 16 points after nine games, they went on to finish in the top three.
Los Colchoneros secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Osasuna at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano in their last league outing, with substitute Thiago Almada’s 69th-minute strike proving decisive. That result lifted them into the top four ahead of their trip to Arsenal.
Predicted Lineups
Real Betis: Lopez; Bellerin, Bartra, Natan, Firpo; Amrabat, Roca, Lo Celso; Antony, Hernandez, Ezzalzouli.
Atletico Madrid: Oblak; Llorente, Gimenez, Le Normand, Hancko; Barrios, Koke, Gonzalez; Griezmann, Alvarez, Almada.
How to Watch Real Betis vs Atletico Madrid?
UK fans can watch the game live on Premier Sports 1.
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