Some fixtures just feel different, and Real Betis against Real Madrid at the Benito Villamarín is one of them. When Betis beat a Real Madrid side that started the 2025-26 season top of La Liga by 1-0 on September 4, 2026, the confirmed lineups explained much of why: Madrid arrived with seven first-team absentees, while Betis kept their core intact; the starting XIs, the missing names, and the Mbappé injury timeline that followed tell the rest of the story.

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Head-to-head wins (all competitions): Real Madrid 62, Real Betis 14, draws 18 · Last 5 meetings before this game: Real Madrid 3, Real Betis 1, draw 1 · Real Betis last league position: 7th (2025-26 start) · Real Madrid last league position: 1st (2025-26 start) · Date of this match: September 4, 2026 · Venue: Estadio Benito Villamarín

The 1-0 result on September 4, 2026 continued a pattern of Betis raising their level against Madrid in Seville. Coming into that game, the clubs had met 94 times, and ESPN’s match hub (official results database) summarized the record: Real Madrid 62 wins, Real Betis 14 wins, and 18 draws.

When was Real Betis’s last win against Real Madrid?

  • September 4, 2026 — Real Betis 1-0 Real Madrid (La Liga).
The pattern

Real Madrid’s aggregate dominance is real: 62 wins against Betis’s 14, with 18 draws, across 94 meetings before September 4. The last meeting finished Real Betis 1-0 Real Madrid on September 4, 2026, according to ESPN’s official match hub. The win gave Betis a clean sheet against the side that began the season top of La Liga.

Match details

  • Date: September 4, 2026
  • Venue: Estadio Benito Villamarín, Seville
  • Competition: La Liga
  • Kick-off: 21:00 CET

Confirmed starting XIs and team news

The confirmed starting XIs for the September 4 match were logged by the Irish Times live blog (match coverage from Seville). Troy Parrott, the Irish forward, began the match on the bench for the home side.

The logged lineups included Bellingham, Arda Guler, Vini Jr, and Mbappé for Real Madrid, and Antony, Isco, Fornais, and Cucho for Betis.

With Troy Parrott waiting on the bench, Betis had cover if the game opened up.

Bottom line: Real Betis’s 1-0 win was built on Madrid’s absentees as much as its own lineup: seven first-team players were missing, and the reshuffled defense couldn’t hold.

Why isn’t Mbappé in the lineup against Real Betis?

Mbappé was named in Madrid’s squad for the trip to Seville on September 3, and he started at the Villamarín the next night. The injury came later, during France’s Nations League win over Turkey (Sportsnet (Canadian sports network)). Real Madrid confirmed the diagnosis as a hyperextension of his left knee (Reuters (global news agency)).

The France camp initially described a knee tendon issue before Mbappé returned to Madrid for treatment (The Independent (UK national newspaper)). Real Madrid said they are awaiting the knee’s evolution before setting a return date (NBC Sports); for the rest of La Liga, it is a window while Madrid’s most important attacker sits out.

The Athletic reported that Mbappé was expected to be sidelined for around two weeks.

Timeline

Date Event
September 3, 2026 Madrid’s squad included Mbappé and ruled out seven players (Sports Mole (football squad news)).
September 4, 2026 Real Betis 1-0 Real Madrid at Estadio Benito Villamarín (ESPN).
September 25-26, 2026 Mbappé returned to Madrid for a scan after the injury in France’s win over Turkey (The Athletic).
September 26, 2026 Real Madrid confirmed Mbappé’s knee diagnosis as a hyperextension of his left knee (Reuters); reports put his absence at around two weeks (The Athletic).

Head-to-head stats

Team Wins
Real Madrid 62
Real Betis 14
Draws 18

Total matches: 94

Team League position (start of 2025-26)
Real Betis 7th
Real Madrid 1st

What this means: Madrid began the season at the top of the table, but on this night the absentees list carried more weight than the league position.

Related reading: Atlético Madrid vs Real Madrid: Record, Stats & 5-2 Win

Additional sources

sportsmole.co.uk, thedailystar.net, sports.yahoo.com

FAQ

What time does the Real Betis vs Real Madrid match start?

The match on September 4, 2026 kicked off at 21:00 CET at Estadio Benito Villamarín.

When was Real Betis’s last win against Real Madrid?

September 4, 2026 — Real Betis 1-0 Real Madrid (La Liga).

Is Mbappé injured?

Mbappé started against Real Betis on September 4, 2026. He was later diagnosed with a hyperextension of his left knee, and reports expected him to be sidelined for around two weeks.

Is Troy Parrott starting?

Troy Parrott began the match on the bench.

Related reading: Atlético Madrid vs Real Madrid: Record, Stats & History