Real Madrid travel to Seville today to take on bottom club Real Betis, but will be foolish to take the La Liga strugglers lightly.
Last season, the nine-time European Cup winners came unstuck at Estadio Benito Villamarín and lost 1-0. Benat, now at Athletic Bilbao, netted the game’s only goal in a shock result.
This time round though, Los Blancos head into the match having won all of their games in 2014 and not conceding a goal along the way. They are also looking make even more ground up on the top two in the league having closed the gap on Barcelona and Atletico de Madrid to three points last weekend.
Madrid boast the Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo in their ranks, and the Portuguese star celebrated being named the world’s best player by netting his 30th goal of the season in the midweek Copa del Rey match against Osasuna.
In bad new for Betis, who have only picked up three wins in the league all season, every time a Portugal player has lifted the Ballon d’Or, they have been relegated the same year, and that trend looks set to happen again this year. The home side haven’t won in La Liga since September, while Ancelotti’s side last lost a league match back in October.
In terms of team news, Alvaro Morata will likely miss out having sustained a black eye against Osasuna. Raphael Varane and Sami Khedira remain long-term absentees.
