La Liga Matchday 9 takes Barcelona to Estadio La Cartuja de Sevilla on 17 October 2026. They arrive at the top after eight wins from eight, with 24 points and a goal difference of +27 that already borders on the obscene at this stage of the season, while Betis sit third with 19 points from six wins. Both sides come in off midweek European results: Betis staged a 3-2 comeback against Porto and Barcelona eased to a 4-1 win over Galatasaray.
Rubi was appointed in October 2026 after replacing Manuel Pellegrini, so this is his first encounter with Flick, with no prior meetings between the two managers to draw on. Barcelona have won five straight across all competitions, capped by a 3-0 league win over Getafe on 10 October and the 4-1 Champions League result three days later, while Betis have won four of their last five, including the 5-2 league win over Osasuna on 11 October and the Porto comeback.
Rubi is without Junior Firpo (groin) and Aitor Ruibal (meniscus), while Barcelona are missing Andreas Christensen with a thigh problem and Roony Bardghji, recovering from long term knee surgery, Raphinha is also a doubt after thigh oedema and has been training separately.
Lamine Yamal's dribbling and overload creation on the right will force Betis' left back into repeated one on one decisions, while Pedri and Rodri sit behind him in a double pivot. Without Christensen, Flick may push his centre backs higher, which opens space in behind. Isco is the one who makes Betis tick, sliding passes between the lines for Cucho Hernandez, whose movement and finishing have driven their strong start. Abde offers pace on the break when Barcelona's full backs push into the final third, though the absence of Firpo removes the left side overlap and Rubi has no direct replacement in that channel.
Betis have not beaten Barcelona in a La Liga home fixture since December 2021 and Flick's side have kept that pattern going with comfortable results since arriving, which adds context to what is otherwise a genuinely balanced midfield contest. If Betis win second balls and transition before Barcelona can reset, they have the tools to pull the visitors into a higher defensive line and find Cucho in behind, while Yamal in one on one situations against Betis' full backs could force Rubi into defensive adjustments that blunt the home attack.
Betis are organised at set pieces and Rubi will target the rejigged central defence at corners and free kicks given Christensen's absence, though Barcelona can vary their deliveries by mixing inswingers and outswingers. Betis played later on 14 October and have had slightly less recovery time than their opponents, which could show in the final 20 minutes.
Hernandez could get on the scoresheet and Betis will make Barcelona work for every moment of this but Yamal and Raphinha, if fit, are the difference in quality that tips a tight game. Predicted score: 1-2.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
