La Liga Preview: Mbappe Still Struggling to Break the Deadlock, Real Madrid Desperately Needs Home Points, Betis Could Be Hopeful for an Upset

September 2 at 3:30 AM, La Liga matchday 4 of the 24/25 season sees Real Madrid return to the Santiago Bernabeu to face a strong Real Betis.

Real Madrid won the Champions League, La Liga, and the Spanish Super Cup last season. This summer, they added Mbappe, further enhancing their paper strength. However, the pain of integration has exceeded expectations. With Kroos’s retirement, the Galacticos have struggled. After playing four games in the new season, with two wins and two draws overall, it’s not too bad, and they also won the UEFA Super Cup.

However, in the past three rounds of La Liga, Real Madrid only managed a 3-0 home win against relegation-threatened Valladolid, drawing both away games against mid-to-lower table teams Mallorca and Las Palmas. Considering Barcelona’s perfect start with four wins, Real Madrid is clearly lagging behind. More concerning than the results is the process and content of the games. Since Kroos’s retirement, Real Madrid’s midfield organization has severely declined. Neither the aging Modric nor the young Valverde and Kulüselig can fill the gap.

With the absences of Bellingham and Camavinga, Real Madrid’s midfield weakness is even more pronounced, leading to frequent disconnection between defense and attack. Additionally, Mbappe has failed to score in three consecutive La Liga matches. His overlapping runs with Vinicius result in less-than-optimal synergy (1+1<2). Mbappe's eagerness to score means he rarely sets up Vinicius, leading to negative emotions between them, disrupting the harmonious locker room atmosphere.

Royal Betis brought in new signings like Lo Celso, Diego Llorente, and Mark Roca during the summer window, while selling long-time front core Fekir for €4.5 million. However, in the first two games of the new season, they couldn’t secure a win, drawing 1-1 with Girona in the opener and 0-0 with Alaves in the previous round. While they haven’t lost, Royal Betis’ offensive firepower is somewhat worrying.

Real Madrid is a formidable home team in La Liga, winning eight and drawing two in their last ten home games across seasons, scoring 26 goals and conceding only three. The last time they didn’t score at the Bernabeu, it was against Royal Betis.

Royal Betis’ away form is average, with four wins, three draws, and three losses in their last ten away games. However, they’ve drawn their last three away La Liga matches, including two 0-0 draws in the last two rounds!

Notably, in the last ten meetings between the two sides, Real Madrid has only won three times, with Royal Betis winning one and six draws. For Real Madrid, if they want to defend their title, they cannot afford to lose this round. Meanwhile, Royal Betis, who had their last league game postponed, are ranked 16th having played one fewer game, also eager for their first league win.

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