LaLiga 2026/27: Real Betis are challenging the Big 3 in Spain
Real Betis have started the new LaLiga season in excellent fashion. They are currently sitting in third place in the league table, level with second-placed Atlético Madrid on 16 points, having won five games, drawn one, and lost one.
Betis ended last season in fifth place with 60 points, qualifying for this season’s Champions League, so it’s little surprise that they have started well again.
The Heliopolitanos have already secured a top scalp in the form of Real Madrid this season, defeating them 1–0 at the Estadio de La Cartuja, with Troy Parrott scoring the winner and superstar Kylian Mbappé missing a late penalty to equalise for Los Blancos.
The Betis backline frustrated the Real Madrid attack and created a few decent chances of their own. Los Verdiblancos also won their first Champions League game against Lille, coming back from a 2–0 deficit to win 3–2 away from home. Those two games have been the highlight so far, showing their completely contrasting ways of winning a game. Against Real Madrid, they were stoic and earned a well-deserved narrow win, while in the Champions League they showed incredible mentality and fight to come back from being 2–0 down to score three goals at a difficult away stadium.
Since the huge 5–2 defeat against Levante early in the season, Manuel Pellegrini’s men have gained form and momentum and have looked quite impressive. Their new Irish striker, Troy Parrott, has scored some vital goals and already become a fan favourite. Rodrigo Riquelme, Marc Bartra, Cucho Hernández, and Fran García have been superb so far. Hernández is continuing his top form from last season, which he ended with 11 goals and three assists in LaLiga.
Although Betis aren’t known to be a particularly attacking team who score freely like Barcelona, they have the defensive stability to defend even a one-goal lead. Pellegrini is an experienced coach who likes to play a possession-based game with controlled tempo and an organised defence.
The back four of Héctor Bellerin, Natan, García, and Bartra/Diego Llorente is a solid defensive unit. Former Manchester United winger Antony, who had a tough time at Old Trafford, has rediscovered his form at Betis. He scored eight goals and bagged six assists in 32 league games last season, also making 10 appearances in the Europa League, scoring six goals and assisting thrice to help his side reach the quarter-finals.
With Real Madrid having started the new season in an underwhelming manner, Atleti and Betis have taken an early advantage to try to make the top three behind a dangerous Barça side that looks unbeatable at the moment. Whether Betis can step up from last season and break the usual “top three” monotony remains to be seen. But for now, they are playing according to plan and winning difficult games.
