Barcelona host Real Betis as La Liga title race enters final phase
League leaders Barcelona welcome fifth-placed Real Betis on Sunday, with Hans-Dieter Flick’s side seeking to maintain their dominance over Manuel Pellegrini’s team.
Barcelona and Real Betis are scheduled to contest Matchweek 37 of the 2025/26 La Liga season at the Spotify Camp Nou on Sunday, 17 May 2026. The fixture carries significant weight for both clubs, with Barcelona currently leading the table with 91 points, while Real Betis occupy fifth place with 57 points.
The match marks a continuation of the managerial rivalry between Hans-Dieter Flick and Manuel Pellegrini. Flick holds a positive record against Pellegrini, having secured two wins and two draws in four previous encounters. In contrast, Pellegrini’s historical record against Barcelona is less favourable, comprising five wins, seven draws, and 27 defeats across 39 meetings.
Barcelona enter the fixture following a 1-0 defeat to Alavés on 13 May 2026. Despite this recent setback, the club maintains a strong home record, having won three consecutive matches at the Spotify Camp Nou and suffered only one defeat in their last 23 home games. Their starting lineup against Alavés featured Wojciech Szczesny, Jules Koundé, Álvaro Cortés, Pau Cubarsí, Álex Baldé, Marc Casadó, Marc Bernal, Roony Bardghji, Dani Olmo, Marcus Rashford, and Robert Lewandowski.
Real Betis arrive at the Camp Nou after a 2-1 victory over Elche on 12 May 2026. The team has demonstrated consistency in their away form, scoring in five consecutive away matches and going four consecutive matches without defeat, although they have conceded in eight straight away games. Their recent starting lineup against Elche included Álvaro Valles, Héctor Bellerín, Valentín Gómez, Diego Llorente, Júnior Firpo, Sofyan Amrabat, Giovani Lo Celso, Pablo Fornals, Antony, Cucho Hernández, and Abde Ezzalzouli.
Historically, Barcelona dominates the head-to-head record, having won 86 of the 143 meetings between the two sides. This advantage is even more pronounced at the Spotify Camp Nou, where Barcelona have won 55 of the 72 matches played against Real Betis. The two teams previously met earlier in the 2025/26 season, with Barcelona securing a 5-3 victory.
