Real Madrid walk into La Cartuja on Friday night with a simple equation and a complicated reality. Avoid defeat and they go back to the top of La Liga. Win, and they send a very clear message about what this new Mourinho era intends to be.
Three games, three wins, and a growing sense of inevitability about them. Yet this trip to Real Betis is the one that has been circled on the calendar. Seville, under the lights, against a side that has made life awkward for Los Blancos for years. This is where early-season optimism either hardens into something serious or starts to look fragile.
Mourinho’s machine starts to whirr
The campaign began with a stumble rather than a stride. A narrow, laboured victory over Espanyol two weeks ago hinted at teething problems and rust. Since then, the gears have caught.
Real Sociedad and Malaga came to the Bernabeu and were swept aside, eight goals flying in across those two matches. The attack clicked, the combinations sharpened, and Real Madrid began to look like a team that can hurt you from every angle.
Now comes the real question: can they carry that fluency out of their comfort zone and into Seville?
La Cartuja will not offer the same rhythm or the same control. The pitch, the noise, the stakes – everything changes. Mourinho will want his side to bring that Bernabeu ruthlessness with them, not just the badge.
Old ghosts in green and white
History offers a warning. Real Madrid’s recent record away to Betis is poor, and everyone at Valdebebas knows it.
The last time Los Blancos won an away league fixture against Betis was back in 2021, a tight 0-1 decided by Dani Carvajal. Since then: three draws and a defeat. Too many points dropped, too many nights where Madrid’s supposed superiority never translated onto the scoreboard.
Mourinho, who measures seasons in these awkward, high-risk fixtures as much as in the clásicos, will be desperate to snap that run. He also knows this is exactly the kind of game that can derail momentum if approached with even a hint of complacency.
Isco at the heart of Betis’ plan
Betis will not just sit and admire the visitors. Their route to an upset runs straight through a familiar face.
Isco is expected to start against his former club, the creative axis around which Los Verdiblancos intend to spin. The plan is simple: give him the ball, let him dictate, let him drag Real Madrid’s midfield into places they don’t want to go. If he finds time between the lines, the visitors’ defence will feel it.
The battle in the middle of the pitch could decide everything. Stop Isco, choke Betis. Let him play, and Real Madrid’s back line will be exposed more than Mourinho would like.
Marc Cucurella has his own assignment. He must help shut down Antony, whose direct running and one‑on‑one threat can turn a tight game in an instant. If Betis are to survive the waves of white shirts and still carry a punch of their own, Cucurella’s work without the ball will be as important as anything he does going forward.
Bellingham, Vinicius, Mbappé: the cutting edge
At the other end, Real Madrid travel with a front line that can rip up any script.
Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappé will be the reference points, the three players Mourinho will lean on when the game gets stretched or ugly. They bring different weapons – Bellingham’s late surges and authority, Vinicius’ chaos and acceleration, Mbappé’s cold, clinical edge – but the same outcome: constant danger.
If even two of them hit form at La Cartuja, the odds swing heavily towards the visitors. Betis can plan, can scheme, can crowd the spaces, but this is the kind of talent that punishes the slightest lapse.
Yet Mourinho will not be fooled into thinking attack alone will carry them. He has built his reputation on nights like this by keeping things tight when it matters most. With Betis carrying genuine quality going forward, Real Madrid’s defensive discipline must match their attacking glamour.
The league table offers a carrot. The venue and the recent history offer a warning. Which of those speaks loudest to this Real Madrid side will tell plenty about how far they can go this season.
