Real Madrid: 5 players who must shine on Saturday vs. Real Betis

CB Eder Militao

It looks like Real Madrid will roll with a back three again, and Eder Militao is expected to start on the right-hand side of the defense. He’s been tremendous since returning to the starting lineup a couple of weeks ago when Raphael Varane tested positive for COVID-19.

Militao will be up against an in-form Cristian Tello, who scored a great goal when Real Betis took points off league leaders Atletico Madrid, and the team’s second-leading scorer at striker in Borja Iglesias. Although Militao has faced tougher tests, Betis are a free-flowing attacking team and will look to cause problems on the left-hand side with Tello and Iglesias linking up.

CM Antonio Blanco

Both Toni Kroos and Luka Modric could be held out for a second straight match, with Kroos apparently less likely to play than the Croatian. The midfield duo has been vital to Real Madrid’s success in 2020-2021, but Los Blancos make quite the statement by winning without them.

Perhaps they can have similar success against an even tougher opponent in Betis. If neither Modric nor Kroos play, we can expect to see a third straight appearance from the highly promising Antonio Blanco. The Castilla standout was good off the bench against Getafe and even better in the XI against Cadiz. He is one to watch for the rest of the season and would have some interesting midfield battles with veterans Andres Guardado and Sergio Canales.