Real Betis go close again. They have looked really bright in the last five or 10 minutes. Loren Moron, who has scored three goals in two appearances since being called up from their B team, fizzes an effort just wide from 25 yards out. An excellent effort.

And Real Betis almost level from this corner. Joaquin's excellent corner finds the head of Aissa Mandi but he flashes his effort wide of the far post.

Joaquin's corner is headed out for another by Gareth Bale.

Real Betis stringing a spell of possession together. Left-back Junior finds Joaquin, but Madrid get the ball out for a corner before he can finish.

So far, so good for the champions.

Image source, Reuters

Real Betis have their first chance but Joaquin's shot hits a Madrid player and loops out for a corner.

The header is half cleared to Junior, whose shot hits his own man and the attack is over.

Madrid captain Sergio Ramos heads wide from a corner, he's only scored one La Liga goal all season. Last season he bagged seven.

Marco Asensio, whose introduction against PSG sparked their revival, goes down the left but his cross is held by Betis keeper Antonio Adan.

Not an electric start from the champions.

Real Betis defender Marc Bartra has not lost any of his last 36 La Liga games (32 wins and four draws) - the longest current run of any player in the competition.

The first 34 of them came for Barcelona.

Real Madrid right-back Dani Carvajal is the first player booked, nice and early, as he just hacks down Ryad Boudebouz to stop a Betis counter-attack.

Image source, Reuters

Betis are only nine points behind Real Madrid - in ninth place.

Cristiano Ronaldo is put though by Lucas Vazquez with a through ball, but he's offside. And Betis keeper Antonio Adan came flying off his line to slide it out of play anyway.

Image source, Reuters

We are under way in Seville.

Image source, Reuters

John McEnerney: Joaquin the last of the great wingers, still a joy to watch - will have Marcelo in his sights tonight hoping to give him a torrid time down the flank. Cristiano Ronaldo will want to bag a few, he’s a long way behind Lionel Messi in the race for the Pichichi.

Real Madrid have won six of their last nine visits to Benito Villamarin in La Liga (D1 L2), and they have only failed to score in one of their last 17 games there (1-0 in September 2012).

Image source, Getty Images

Real Betis won the reverse game 1-0 at the Bernabeu thanks to an injury-time Antonio Sanabria goal.

Betis coach Quique Setien said: "With opponents of this level you depend on what they do. You must do very well and they have to be below-par.

"[Goalkeeper] Adan was our best player. Being realistic, we won't have the chances they had. Madrid are one of the best teams in the world.

"Picking up six points [in the last two games] strengthens us and gives us confidence. We played very well in those two games.

"We are in a good moment physically and mentally and hopefully we can take advantage of that and put Madrid in difficulties."

Image source, EPA

Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane: "The best way to prepare for the PSG game is by performing really well in our La Liga games. We've got five games before the second leg and we're going to need the whole squad more than ever.

"It's in my interests that they're all ready to play.

"Sometimes things don't go for you. We haven't been playing badly, apart from the Copa del Rey game at home to Leganes. Even so, we'll be trying to do better and I have real respect for my players because they always try their best.

"We've got to cut down on the errors as much as possible because if we do so, we'll be more effective, regardless of who we're up against. We have to be more consistent in terms of our performance levels and avoid those small mistakes."

Real Madrid make five changes from the side who beat PSG 3-1. Gareth Bale, Marco Asensio, Lucas Vazquez, Mateo Kovacic and Dani Carvajal all come in. Toni Kroos misses out with a knee injury, while Karim Benzema is among the players benched.

Real Betis make one switch from the 1-0 win over Clarence Seedorf's Deportivo La Coruna. Right-back Antonio Barragan, on loan from Middlesbrough, comes into the side.

Image source, .

Image source, .

After Real Madrid's 3-1 win over Paris St-Germain in the Champions League, it's back to the "bread and butter" (Zinedine Zidane's words, not mine) of La Liga for the champions.

They sit 20 points behind leaders Barcelona - can they narrow that gap to 17 against Real Betis? Let's find out.