Barcelona host Real Betis in Montjuic on Wednesday evening for the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey.
The Catalan giants are still on the rise after their Supercopa de Espana triumph over Real Madrid on Sunday night, beating their eternal rivals 5-2 to lift their first trophy of Hansi Flick’s reign in style. Betis will be keen to bring their jet-lagged hosts abruptly back down to earth.
Manuel Pellegrini’s side sit squarely in the middle of the La Liga table at the halfway point of the season, but held Barcelona to a 2-2 draw when the teams met in Seville in early December.
Barcelona vs. Real Betis H2H record (last five games)
Current form (all competitions)
Barcelona | Real Betis |
|---|---|
Real Madrid 2-5 Barcelona – 12/01/25 | Real Valladolid 1-0 Real Betis – 11/01/25 |
Athletic Club 0-2 Barcelona – 01/08/25 | Huesca 0-1 Real Betis – 04/11/25 |
Barbastro 0-4 Barcelona – 01/04/25 | Real Betis – Rayo Vallecano 1-1 – 12/22/24 |
Barcelona – Atlético Madrid 1:2 – 12/21/24 | Real Betis 1-0 HJK – 12/19/24 |
Barcelona 0-1 Leganes – 12/15/24 | Villarreal 1-2 Real Betis – 12/15/24 |
country | TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
United Kingdom | N/A |
United States | ESPN+, ESPN app |
Canada | N/A |
Barcelona lost central defender Inigo Martinez to a thigh injury in the first half hour of their 5-2 win over Real Madrid on Sunday. The club confirmed that the experienced defender will be out for around four weeks and will secure a place in the backline alongside the steadfast presence of Pau Cubarsi.
Ronald Araujo is the most likely replacement, especially as Manchester United-linked Andreas Christensen remains on the sidelines.
Long-term absentees Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Ansu Fati will also miss out, while – crucially – Dani Olmo will be allowed to feature on provisional registration.
Predicted line-up of Barcelona against Real Betis (4-2-3-1): Pena; Kounde, Cubarsi, Araujo, Balde; Pedri, Casado; Yamal, Olmo, Raphinha; Lewandowski.
Pellegrini has to deal with several injury-related absences. The clever Chilean coach will be without stubborn striker Ezequiel Avila until the end of January. A midfield trio consisting of Marc Roca (knee), Pablo Fornals (muscle) and William Carvalho (ACL) is also out.
Former Barcelona right-back Hector Bellerin has missed the last two and a half months with a bruise and is expected to sit out this potential reunion.
Expected lineup of Real Betis against Barcelona (4-2-3-1): Vieites; Sabaly, Llorente, Natan, Rodriguez; Altimira, Cardoso; Lo Celso, Isco, Abde; Bakambu
When Vic Buckingham was once manager of Barcelona in the late 1960s, his pre-match team talk consisted of writing the opponent’s name on the dressing room board – “BETIS” – and then asking: “Who are Betis?” F*“ **Betis” before throwing the board to the ground.
This modern version of Real Betis is not without threat. The returning Isco still has magic in his boots and is fighting his way back into the first team after missing the first four months of the season with a broken leg, while Giovani Lo Celso scored an impressive seven goals in the attacking midfield role.
However, Flick expects the same positive outcome as Buckingham – even if he takes a less aggressive approach.