Real Madrid and Real Betis Balompié will face each other this Friday, May 20, at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in a match corresponding to matchday 38 of LaLiga Santander, the last of the 2021-22 season. With the championship in their pocket and all their attention focused on the Champions League final, the team from the capital will receive the Verdiblancos who have already confirmed their presence for the next edition of the Europa League.
The match will begin at 9:00 p.m. at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid and will be seen live on Movistar LaLiga. You can also follow minute by minute on the La Vanguardia website.
For Real Madrid, the match against Betis will be their last commitment before traveling to Paris for the Champions League final against Liverpool. League champions for several days, the only thing left for the Whites is to continue enhancing their legend. However, the coach, Carlo Ancelotti, is not satisfied with what has been achieved so far, especially at the Bernabeu. The last team that visited the temple of the Spanish capital was a Levante that was rushing their chances of salvation, but the locals showed no mercy (6-0).
"Everyone is focused on the Champions League final and on winning number fourteen", acknowledged the Italian coach at a press conference. Looking ahead to the League match against Betis, he assured that he wants his players to take it seriously , as a rehearsal for the Stade de France match: “We have done well in all the games after winning the league, we have fought and tomorrow we want the same, bearing in mind that the players who have not played against Cadiz", he affirmed. It should also be noted that Marcelo could say goodbye to the Santiago Bernabeu this Friday, ending a 15-year stage wearing white.
For its part, Betis will arrive at the white cathedral with their homework done and with nothing at stake. The winner of the Copa del Rey has already confirmed his presence for the next edition of the Europa League, a competition in which he lost in the round of 16 against Eintracht Frankfurt, the eventual champion. Fifth in the table, three points separate the Verdiblancos from their archenemy, Sevilla. However, they no longer have a chance to catch up after losing the two direct duels played in the league. Of course, in case of defeat and that Real Sociedad beats Atlético de Madrid, they could still fall to sixth place.
The coach, Manuel Pellegrini, is not afraid to visit the Bernabeu on the last day and recalled that Betis kept a clean sheet in the last four games played at the Whites' fiefdom. “We have to try to go to Madrid and play a good game against the league champions”, he commented. In addition, he recognized that, although this campaign has been historic for the Verdiblancos, for next season they have to "start from scratch" and show again, game by game, what they are "capable of".
In the first round match played at the Benito Villamarín, Real Madrid managed to prevail, with a goal from Carvajal, over a seasoned Betis who dared to look him straight in the eye. Recent history at the Bernabeu, on the contrary, is a hymn to the Verdiblanca epic, and that is that the people from Seville have not conceded a single goal in their last four visits to their enemy's fiefdom (two Betis wins and two draws) .
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