Real Madrid take their perfect La Liga start to Real Betis on Friday, with the chance to move top of the table before Barcelona play on Sunday. Los Blancos have won all three matches, scored 10 goals and conceded two, and a fourth straight league victory would turn a sharp opening into the clear benchmark of the early season.
That is why the trip matters now. Real Madrid beat Real Sociedad and Málaga at home before this visit, and the clean numbers have fuelled talk of control and momentum. A win at Real Betis would keep that run intact and briefly put Real Madrid first, a position that carries extra weight with Inter waiting in the Champions League on Tuesday at the Bernabéu.
Manuel Pellegrini is trying to steady a side that was hammered 5-2 by Levante last time out. Real Betis still arrive as one of La Liga's strongest teams outside the big three, which is part of what makes this fixture hard to dismiss as routine. They also return to the Champions League after a 21-year absence and will face Lille on Tuesday, so the schedule is about to get heavy for them as well.
That is where the real test begins for Madrid. Their perfect start is being measured against an opponent with strong midfield quality and enough edge to punish any lapse, even as doubts linger over the strength of the opening schedule. Madrid have not always had things their own way in this matchup in recent seasons, which is why Friday offers more than a chance to collect points. It is a chance to show that the early run was built on something sturdier than a fast start.
If Madrid leave with another win, they go into a crowded stretch with top spot in sight and another European night at home on the horizon. If they do not, the conversation around their opening three games changes immediately, and the unbeaten run becomes less a statement than a promising beginning that still needs proving.
