Villarreal vs Betis – News and Probable Lineups

Real Betis aims for a third straight win in all competitions as they head to Estadio de la Ceramica for a La Liga encounter against Villarreal on Monday.

At the same time, the Yellow Submarine is still on the lookout for their first league victory under head coach Inigo Perez, who took over from Marcelino during the summer.

Match overview

Perez joined Villarreal with an impressive track record after leading Rayo Vallecano to an eighth-place finish in 2024-25, and subsequently guiding them to the final of the Conference League.

Unfortunately, the former assistant to Andoni Iraola has struggled to find his footing at Villarreal, beginning with a five-game winless streak across all competitions.

The Yellow Submarine’s season started with two consecutive 2-2 draws against Racing Santander and Atletico Madrid, followed by two straight defeats against Alaves and Deportivo La Coruna.

Perez faced another setback in his first Champions League match as a coach, with goals from Santiago Mourino and a last-minute own goal unable to prevent a 3-2 loss to Borussia Dortmund in Alemania.

Desperate for a change in their fortunes, Perez will look to reverse the trend during a hectic week that includes matches against Betis, Malaga, and Levante ahead of the upcoming three-week international break.

Perez might be optimistic about achieving a positive outcome, considering his unbeaten record of five prior managerial encounters with Betis (W1, D4).

Real Betis has enjoyed a strong start to the 2026-26 season, securing four wins in their first five competitive outings, including a recent 1-0 victory over Real Madrid.

Following that, Los Verdiblancos achieved a gritty 3-2 away win against Lille in their Champions League opener, their first since the group stage in the 2005-06 season.

Marc Bartra scored twice as Betis fought back from behind on two occasions, with Troy Parrott, who scored the decisive goal against Real Madrid, finding the net on his Champions League debut for what turned out to be the winner.

Now, Betis turns its attention back to La Liga, sitting in fifth place and just three points behind leaders Barcelona and Real Madrid.

The Andalusian side secured four points from their encounters against Villarreal last season, including a dramatic equalizer in their most recent trip to La Ceramica where Antony scored twice to level the match from two goals behind.

This result marked their fourth consecutive away matches without a loss since suffering a 2-0 defeat in October 2021 (W2, D2).

Team News

Villarreal will likely be without Carlos Romero and Juan Foyth, both of whom are expected to miss out due to injuries sustained in the last two matches.

Goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi is poised to make his La Liga debut after stepping in for Luiz Junior in the narrow Champions League defeat to Borussia Dortmund.

To refresh his squad amid the tightly packed schedule, Perez may include Alex Freeman, Nicolas Pepe, Alberto Moleiro, Ayoze Perez, and Gerard Moreno in the selection for Monday’s match.

On the other hand, Aitor Ruibal for the visitors continues his rehabilitation for a knee injury incurred towards the end of the previous season.

Both Abde Ezzalzouli and Diego Llorente are expected to be available for selection, with Llorente likely wearing a protective mask following a broken nose suffered in the victory over Real Madrid.

Brazilian winger Antony should be fit enough to return from illness to occupy his position on the right side at La Ceramica.

Villarreal probable starting XI:

Gulacsi; Freeman, Navarro, Veiga, Cardona; Comesana, Saliba; Pepe, Gerard, Miller; Perez

Real Betis probable starting XI:

Valles; Bellerin, Bartra, Nathan, Garcia; Roca, Bernal; Antony, Isco, Fornals; Parrott

Perez could benefit from securing a victory to ease the mounting pressure on him, but facing Betis is certain to pose a significant challenge. Therefore, it seems likely that he may have to settle for a fifth draw in six encounters against Los Verdiblancos.