MADRID, 21 (EUROPA PRESS)
Real Betis face Deportivo Alavés this Friday (9:30 p.m.) in the second matchday of LaLiga EA Sports 2025-26, in a duel in which they want to forget the draw (1-1) of the domestic debut in Elche and achieve their first victory in La Cartuja, their new 'home' due to the works at the Benito Villamarín, against a Vitorian team that won in stoppage time against Levante UD, a direct rival, and arrives full of energy.
Betis makes its debut this Friday at what will be its new home for the next two seasons: La Cartuja Stadium, which will host the Verdiblancos' home matches while the Benito Villamarín stadium is being renovated. Betis returns to a stadium where they last won the Copa del Rey in 2022. Now, they want to turn their new stadium into a fortress from the very first match in order to fight for the top spots at the end of the season.
However, for this second matchday, the stadium that hosted Euro 2021 will not be able to be full, as the sanction from the Disciplinary Committee of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) was announced this Wednesday, which consists of the partial closure (approximately 200 seats) of the stadium for this match due to the racist incidents that occurred in the last league match against Athletic Club, on matchday 22 of last season at Villamarín.
On the sporting front, Pellegrini is still without Isco Alarcón, so it will presumably be Argentine Giovani Lo Celso who will fill that position in the attacking midfield, behind Colombian 'Cucho' Hernández, who always promises to be a physical force.
The main change in the "Ingeniero" starting eleven will come at left back, where Junior Firpo is expected to don the 13-barreled shirt in an official match. Otherwise, Ricardo Rodríguez will, whose future remains up in the air. However, the Chilean coach's main concern is the midfield, which lacks a typical number 5, with Sergi Altimira and Pablo Fornals responsible for keeping the team playing.
But it won't be an easy task for the Verdiblancos, who must remember the 3-1 defeat they suffered at home by Alavés last season, with a hat trick from striker Kike García, who was unstoppable. The Cuenca native left the club this summer, but enthusiasm in Vitoria is sky-high.
Chacho Coudet's second season in charge of the 'babazorro' team has started very positively. In the opening matchday, they earned three crucial points against Levante, a direct rival in the fight against relegation, with a goal from Nahuel Tenaglia in stoppage time. With this victory, Alavés ended a run of four La Liga debuts ending in defeat, with the hope of winning two matches in the first two matches at La Cartuja for the first time since 2001-02.
In that match against Levante, three summer transfer signings were already established in the starting lineup: full-backs Jonny Otto and Víctor Parada, and midfielder Pablo Ibáñez. The 'babazorro' team is still awaiting further signings in both the defensive and attacking core, so everything points to Coudet repeating the partnership of Facundo Garcés and striker Tenaglia at the back, with Toni Martínez at the top of the attack.
Furthermore, Deportivo Alavés travels to Seville with recent history on their side, having not lost a single match against Pellegrini's team since their return to LaLiga EA Sports in the 2023-24 season. Since then, they have achieved three draws and one win, which was precisely the last duel between the two sides at the Villamarín last season.
–LALIGA EA SPORTS MATCHDAY 2 TIMES:
-Friday 22nd.
Real Betis – Deportivo Alavés. Ortiz Arias (C. Madrileño) 9:30 p.m.
-Saturday 23rd.
RCD Mallorca – RC Celta 17.00.
Atlético de Madrid – Elche 7:30 p.m.
Levante UD – FC Barcelona 21.30
-Sunday 24th.
CA Osasuna – Valencia CF 17.00.
Real Sociedad – RCD Espanyol 19.30.
Villarreal CF – Girona FC 19.30.
Real Oviedo – Real Madrid 9:30 p.m.
-Monday 25th.
Athletic Club – Rayo Vallecano 19.30.
Sevilla FC – Getafe CF 21.30.
