Betis looks to break its curse against Barcelona at La Cartuja

Betis has not beaten Barcelona at home since 2008. It's been years of near misses, of good performances that slip away late, of a thorn that still sits deep in the side of Betis fans. That's the ghost Manuel Pellegrini wants to put to rest this Saturday, October 17, at the Estadio de La Cartuja, when his side hosts the reigning Spanish champions.

Barcelona arrives in Seville as the sole leader of LaLiga with 24 points, having gone unbeaten across every competition it's played this season. This isn't just any opponent, especially given the form it's in: Flick's team isn't just winning, it's winning with an authority that's already starting to open up gaps in the standings. For Betis, taking points off the league leader would mean more than three points, it would be a statement of intent.

Betis isn't showing up as an afterthought here, either. The club sits third with 19 points, level with Atletico Madrid and one point ahead of Real Madrid. Pellegrini's side is riding a strong stretch of form, which turns this matchup into something bigger than just another fixture in Matchday 9: it's a genuine chance to test a Barcelona team that so far hasn't given anyone an inch.

Flick gets key pieces back

The news couldn't have come at a better time for the German coach. Frenkie de Jong and Raphinha have both been cleared to play and are available for the starting lineup, giving Flick more options for what looks like a tough match. With both back, Barcelona gains some much needed squad depth at a point in the season when the schedule isn't letting up.

Betis' likely starting eleven features Alvaro Valles in goal, with Bellerin, Bartra, Natan and Fran Garcia across the back line, while up front Pellegrini could turn to Antony, Isco, Abde Ezzalzoulli and Cucho Hernandez. On the Barcelona side, Joan Garcia would start in goal, backed by a defense of Kounde, Eric Garcia, Gerard Martin and Cancelo, with an attack featuring Lamine Yamal, Fermin Lopez, Anthony Gordon and Gabriel Jesus.

The recent head-to-head record clearly favors the Catalans: of the last five meetings, Barcelona won three, one ended in a draw, and Betis has managed just a single win in that stretch. The most painful of those results was a 5-1 defeat in the round of 16 of the 2024/25 Copa del Rey, though there's also a 2-2 and a 1-1 draw that show Betis can cause problems when it competes on even terms.

Kickoff is set for 10:30 am Mexico City time, 11:30 am in Ecuador, Colombia and Peru, 12:30 pm Eastern time, and 1:30 pm in Argentina, Uruguay and Chile. La Cartuja is getting ready to host an unbeaten Barcelona side, and a Betis team dreaming of finally snapping a losing streak that's lasted more than a decade.