Real Madrid vs Betis Prediction: Bet on Rodrygo to score on Sunday

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Real Madrid begin 2026 with a home game against Real Betis. The pressure is still on Xabi Alonso, with the next week likely to be key in determining his future. 

The expectation is that the ex-Bayer Leverkusen boss will at least oversee this game and the Spanish Super Cup, which takes place in Saudi Arabia over the following seven days. There is pressure on Alonso to not only get positive results, but also for his team to perform better than has been the case over the past few months. 

Los Blancos have won their last three matches in all competitions. They saw off Alavés and Sevilla in La Liga, either side of a 3-2 win over Talavera de la Reina in the Copa del Rey. Those results may have contributed to Alonso remaining in his job heading into 2026, but they were not displays that really pointed to a genuine turnaround. 

In a favourable home fixture against Sevilla last time out, Real Madrid looked shaky defensively throughout and did little to merit their 2-0 winning margin. It wasn't much better at the other end of the pitch, and Vinícius Júnior was jeered when he was replaced in the second half. The Brazilian has now gone 13 matches without a goal. 

There is rarely much action in the January transfer window at the Santiago Bernabéu, so Alonso is going to need to get more out of the players he has at his disposal. In recent weeks he has brought Rodrygo in from the cold, and the 24-year-old now looks set for a run of starts, not least given top scorer Kylian Mbappé has picked up an injury. 

Real Betis will see this as a good time to be heading to the Bernabéu. Manuel Pellegrini's side have a decent record against this opposition of late too, losing just one of the last five meetings. They were 2-1 winners when the clubs last met in Seville in March of last year. 

Isco scored and assisted in that game, but he's denied a first return to the Bernabéu since leaving Real Madrid due to injury. Betis have coped well without their playmaker this term, losing just three times in all competitions. However, those three defeats did all come against teams who finished in the top four of La Liga last season, with Barcelona winning 5-3 at the Estadio La Cartuja last month. 

The Andalusians haven't lost any of their 14 competitive away games so far. They've made an unbeaten start to the Europa League, and look on course for another top-six finish in the Spanish top flight. 

Pellegrini's men head into this match following a 4-0 home victory over Getafe. Aitor Ruibal was the star of the show on that occasion with two goals. The versatile 29-year-old has mostly been used as a right-back this term, but he was deployed as an emergency left winger to great effect by the Chilean against Los Azulones. 

Team News: 

An injury to Mbappé was the last thing Alonso needed heading into the new year, but the Frenchman is dealing with a knee issue, which is set to keep him out for several weeks. Youngster Gonzalo García is likely to take his place, although a shift to a 4-4-2 with Vinícius and Rodrygo up top is an alternative option. 

Real Madrid's defensive issues are also ongoing. Éder Militão and Trent Alexander-Arnold will both miss this game due to injuries, while Dean Huijsen and Dani Carvajal are rated doubtful. 

As for Real Betis, Isco is expected to be the only injury absentee. Antony was also a doubt in the build-up to this match, but the ex-Manchester United winger has been passed fit and should take up his usual role on the right flank. 

The visitors are missing three players as a result of the Africa Cup of Nations. Regulars Ez Abde and Sofyan Amrabat are both on duty with Morocco. Meanwhile, back-up striker Cédric Bakambu is on AFCON duty with DR Congo.