Real Madrid Aim for Fourth Straight Win Against Betis

Real Madrid head to Seville on Friday with a perfect record, a ruthless attack and a slowly easing injury list as they prepare to face a wounded Real Betis.

Jose Mourinho’s side have opened the 2026-27 La Liga campaign with three wins from three, the latest a brutal 4-0 dismantling of Malaga at the Santiago Bernabeu. Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe and Arda Guler all struck in that victory, keeping Madrid level on points with early leaders Barcelona and setting the tone for a title race that already feels unforgiving.

Now comes a different kind of test. An away night at Betis, a team stung by a 5-2 defeat to Levante after starting the season with back-to-back wins. Betis will be angry. Madrid will be confident. The table may say early September, but the intensity will not.

Mourinho’s selection puzzle

The good news for Mourinho is that the treatment room is finally starting to thin out in some areas, even if key absentees remain.

The big watch is Aurelien Tchouameni. The French midfielder has yet to play a minute this season because of a muscle problem, but he is edging closer. The medical staff believe he could be ready in time to feature against Betis, and his possible return would give Mourinho a powerful option at the base of midfield. The coach, though, is in no mood to gamble. With a long season ahead, he is reluctant to rush Tchouameni back and risk a setback.

Another potential returnee is Endrick. The Brazilian teenager has missed the opening three league fixtures with a muscular issue, but there is a realistic chance he makes a matchday squad for the first time this campaign. Even a place on the bench would add a fresh, unpredictable edge to Madrid’s forward line, already humming with Mbappe, Bellingham and Guler in form.

Long-term absences still bite

Not everyone is close. Some of Madrid’s injury problems are measured in months, not days.

Eder Militao remains out after a hamstring injury suffered against Alaves on April 21. The defender is progressing, but expectations inside the club are that he will not return before the first international break of the season. Until then, Mourinho must continue to lean on his remaining centre-backs, knowing that any further setback in that area would stretch the squad.

Rodrygo’s situation is even more severe. The Brazilian forward, a central figure in recent seasons, is not expected back until the early stages of 2027 after sustaining a serious knee injury in March. His absence has forced a reshaping of Madrid’s attacking structure and increased the responsibility on Mbappe and Bellingham to deliver consistently in the final third.

Defensive depth has also taken a hit with Raul Asencio’s troubles. The defender, who had been linked with a possible summer move away, missed the start of the campaign with a quadricep issue. He has shaken that off, only to pick up a separate problem in the same leg. There is a real risk he will require surgery, which would rule him out for six to eight weeks and further complicate Mourinho’s rotation options at the back.

On the left, the outlook is bleakest. Ferland Mendy is dealing with a thigh injury that is set to keep him out of the first-team picture until the latter stages of 2026. That absence forces Madrid to improvise at full-back over the long term, a tactical challenge that will shape how they defend and build attacks for much of this season and the next.

Thiago Pitarch is another long-term project for the medical staff. The midfielder suffered a knee injury at the very start of his first pre-season training session. He is now back on the grass and working with the ball again, a crucial step, but there is still no clear date for his competitive return.

Clean on suspensions, sharp on the pitch

One thing Mourinho does not have to worry about this week is discipline. Real Madrid have no players suspended for the trip to Betis, giving the coach a free hand to pick from those who are fit.

Three wins, four goals against Malaga, Mbappe and Bellingham already in stride, and the prospect of Tchouameni and Endrick rejoining the mix: Madrid travel south with momentum and menace.

Betis, bruised by five goals from Levante, will try to turn their home ground into a storm. The question is simple: can anyone slow Madrid’s surge before Barcelona get the chance?