Ismael Gutiérrez enters the game and replaces N. Fekir.
With time expiring, Fekir is taken off, with Gutierrez his replacement.
90' +4
Barragán enters the game and replaces Álex Moreno.
Barragan is sent on to protect the clean sheet, replacing Moreno.
90' +1
UNBELIEVABLE SAVE! Mendy switches play to the far post for a wide-open Vinicius, who takes a touch before shooting, only to see his effort denied by the large frame of Robles!
89'
Moreno hits the byline but manages to pull it back with a chip at the last second. Emerson waits at the edge of the area and cracks a volley towards goal, missing the target by some distance.
85'
A. Guardado gets yellow.
Guardado is shown a yellow card for a slightly mistimed challenge brought on by desperation in the late stages of the match.
83'
L. Jović enters the game and replaces K. Benzema.
Zidane makes his second switch of the game, taking Benzema off and sending Jovic on.
82'
Controversy as Benzema’s low cross is blocked out for a corner thanks to Feddal’s sliding challenge. The Real Madrid players all appeal for handball inside the penalty area, but the referee denies their claims, saying it was not intentional!
80'
F. Mendy gets yellow.
A reckless sliding challenge in midfield sees Mendy awarded a yellow card.
78'
Bartra wins a foul after entangling limbs with Vinicius on the edge of the Betis penalty area. It’s a crafty foul won by the midfielder, which allows his side to clear their lines.
Minute
Description
74'
Z. Feddal gets yellow.
Borja Iglesias enters the game and replaces Loren Morón.
Rubi signals that he feels the three points are there for the taking as Iglesias is sent on in favour of Loren.
Feddal is shown a yellow card for a foul on Hazard during a spell of Real Madrid pressure.
72'
Mendy gets inside the Betis penalty area and makes a central pass for Benzema, who manages a shot despite heavy defensive pressure. Mandi goes sliding in to protect his goal and manages to deflect the shot wide, saving his goalkeeper from another close-range effort.
70'
As things stand, Real Madrid have moved equal with Barcelona on 22 points, though Barca remain top thanks to goal difference. The Blaugrana’s slip-up earlier today should spur Zidane’s side on, as a third of the season is already almost over.
68'
Robles also looks to be receiving some kind of assistance on the sideline, as he struggles to get his contact lens in his eye. After a couple of minutes with his medical staff fumbling with it - he eventually decides to forget about it as he heads back towards goal. He’ll play on without it!
67'
Play is stopped as Bartra is down receiving treatment after a cross is unintentionally driven into the face of the midfielder.
65'
Vinícius Júnior enters the game and replaces Rodrygo.
Rodrygo has been very involved today, but he’s been unable to make the opposition pay. Vinicius will get a chance with 25 minutes remaining.
64'
Joel Robles gets yellow.
Robles is booked for wasting time following that close call with Mendy.
61'
Zidane must be looking to his bench with an hour gone, as his side need a spark to unlock this dogged Betis defence. Vinicius looks to be the most likely, though Jovic or Isco could also be of use.
59'
Mendy looks to wriggle away from a marker and have a shot towards goal, but he goes down under what looks to be the weight of a challenge. The referee fails to award a penalty, which is a good call upon second review, as the left-back went down far too easily.
57'
Kroos attempts another switch of play to the right, but this time it’s for Rodrygo and not Carvajal. It’s hit too high for the winger, who can only jump up and send a header straight into the air for Robles to gather.
55'
For a side who own the worst defensive record in LaLiga, Betis have defended quite well today. Mandi has done well in the centre of the back-three, and Robles has kept his side in the match with a key save or two. They’ve faded going forward as it looks like Rubi might be happy to take a point.
53'
Real Madrid have a free-kick outside the Betis penalty area, just left of centre. Kroos stands over it but it’s Casemiro who hits a piledriver to the right corner - but he misses by a small margin.
51'
Rodrygo gets to the right edge of the penalty area with only one man separating him and Benzema. The cross is pulled back low to the penalty spot, but Mandi isn’t fooled as he gets there first and clears.
50'
The corner is taken into a crowd of bodies and sent out of the box - but back to Madrid. Mendy has a sight at goal from some distance and opts to have a crack, missing the target entirely.
48'
Kroos switches play with a wonderful drive to the right for Carvajal, who hits the byline and sends in a cross which is deflected away for a corner.
46'
Real Madrid get the match restarted from the kick-off!
45' +1
HALF-TIME: REAL MADRID 0-0 REAL BETIS.
45'
The fourth official indicates one additional minute for stoppages.
41'
Betis look to burst forward through Moreno down the left, but he’s a bit overzealous as he overruns the ball and gives it back to Madrid inside his own half.
39'
Casemiro gets yellow.
Casemiro looks to poke it into the penalty area for Benzema, but his loose pass is intercepted by Fekir. The former Lyon forward bursts forward on a counter, but Casemiro brings him down from behind - earning a yellow card.
37'
Carvajal teases a cross into the box looking for Benzema, who can’t outmuscle Mandi and poke it past Robles! Betis with more last-ditch defending!
35'
Hazard wriggles free from Mandi with an exquisite turn, but his pacey pass across the face of goal isn’t met by a team-mate as it goes out for a Betis throw-in.
33'
The corner is taken to the six-yard box, where Courtois comes out to punch. He flaps at it but Guardado is unable to make him pay with a shot from outside the area.
31'
The free-kick smashes off the wall and back to Fekir, whose off-balance second effort wins Betis a corner after it takes a touch on its way through.
30'
Fekir loses Casemiro with a wonderful turn following a throw-in and earns his side a free-kick in a central position just outside the penalty area.
28'
Modric looks up and sees Rodrygo in acres of space on the right-hand side, and he swivels to quickly hit a cross-pitch ball, which he sails over the head of the winger.
26'
Real Madrid have looked the better side in the opening 30 minutes, controlling the tempo of the match and playing on the front foot. Hazard’s spectacular goal looked to be a deserved opener, but he was a half-step ahead of play.
20'
Rodrygo has Carvajal on his outside as he drives into the penalty area, but he looks to cut it inside instead. He fails to catch Feddal off-guard though, as the centre-back gets a solid clearance of the ball.
16'
Kroos is taken down by Guardado, just as the Real Madrid midfielder was shaping to shoot from just outside the area. He’ll look to make them pay from the set-piece.
15'
Ramos is in the Betis penalty area following a corner which is initially cleared by the visitors, but Mendy’s second delivery finds the head of the centre-back, though it’s directed into the arms of Robles.
14'
Real Betis have looked to counter-attack in the opening stages, condensing space in defence and packing the middle of the pitch with bodies. Rodrygo and Hazard will both have to be at their best to exploit the space down the flanks.
12'
Rodrygo delivers a great ball into the middle of the 18-yard box for Benzema, but the striker is just a bit late in his leap as it flies narrowly over his head and out of the box on the other side.
11'
Marc Bartra gets yellow.
Bartra goes into a sliding challenge on Modric in midfield and he’s shown a yellow card.
6'
Benzema leaps onto the loose ball after a dummy in midfield from Modric, and he fires a shot towards the far post - forcing a great save out of Robles.
4'
The corner is taken from the right, where it finds the head of Ramos, who can only flick it on. It’s an awkward hit for Casemiro, who cant direct it towards goal via the overhead kick.
3'
Rodrygo combines well with Modric in midfield, but the young winger’s cross is headed out for a corner by Mandi.
1'
Real Betis get the match underway from the kick-off!
Real Madrid can go top of the table after 11 matches and leap Barcelona in the process with a win today at the Bernabeu. Without back-to-back wins since the middle of September, Real Madrid’s domestic form has been patchy at best - though they are undoubtedly better at home, where they average three goals per match.
Hello and welcome to our LIVE commentary of the LaLiga fixture between Real Madrid and Real Betis!
REAL BETIS SUBS: Carlos Marin, Antonio Barragan, Cristian Tello, Ismael Gutierrez, Joaquin, Borja Iglesias, Edgar Gonzalez.
REAL BETIS XI (3-4-2-1): Joel Robles; Zouhair Feddal, Sidnei, Aissa Mandi; Emerson, Andres Guardado, Marc Bartra, Alex Moreno; Nabil Fekir, Sergio Canales; Loren Moron.
REAL MADRID SUBS: Alphonse Areola, Luka Jovic, Isco, Marcelo, Eder Militao, Vinicius Junior, Federico Valverde.
REAL MADRID XI (4-3-3): Thibaut Courtois; Ferland Mendy, Sergio Ramos, Raphael Varane, Dani Carvajal; Luka Modric, Casemiro, Toni Kroos; Eden Hazard, Karim Benzema, Rodrygo.
With 15 minutes to go before kick-off, let's take a look at the team news - starting with the hosts!
It’s been a tough start to the 2019-20 LaLiga campaign for Real Betis, who find themselves just three points above the relegation zone. While they’ve been able to score goals at a decent rate, their defensive issues have been noticeable; they’ve allowed a league-worst 21 goals in 11 matches. The visitors haven’t won anywhere away from Estadio Benito Villamarin this year - with their last triumph coming against Real Madrid in this fixture last season.
Both sides have a wealth of talent on their bench, with Zidane still able to call upon the likes of Marcelo and Vinicius should he require some pace down the left in the later stages of the match. Rubi’s position is more precarious, as he’ll be torn between holding out for a point and attempting to take all three. Tello and Iglesias could alter the game for the visitors, though Joaquin’s leadership could certainly be used to good effect as well.
That concludes our LaLiga coverage of the fixture between Real Madrid and Real Betis! We hope you enjoyed it!
Real Madrid are in action again on November 9, when they travel to play Eibar. Real Betis will take part in the Seville derby against Sevilla next Sunday.
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