Real Madrid made it four wins in a row as they emerged victorious from their first game of 2026 to beat La Liga rivals Real Betis at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu on Sunday afternoon. It came courtesy of a hat-trick from stand-in striker Gonzalo García, in addition to a first goal from Raúl Asencio, as he headed in from a Rodrygo Goes corner as he registered his second assist of the afternoon. Cucho Hernández pulled one back on the counter to deny Real Madrid their first back-to-back clean sheets
since October and ensure a nervy ending, but the three points stayed at home with Fran García making it five in injury-time.
Three answers
1. Would the new year and winter break bring a fresh start?
Despite the downward spiral that was the month of December, Real Madrid ended 2025 with three consecutive wins. None of them were flattering or particularly exciting, most not even convincing, but they were enough to earn Xabi Alonso a winter break to reset and work with his players after a period of rest. The biggest change on them field was the switch to a double pivot, bringing in Eduardo Camavinga alongside Aurélien Tchouameni. The duo worked well together and helped to ensure control in a game which was to be decided by a midfield battle where Betis have often come out on top in La Liga fixtures this season. The two worked well together to shut out Pablo Fornals, who has been one of the competition’s most creative midfielders this season, and were efficient and precise in their distribution.
2. How would Xabi Alonso replace Kylian Mbappé?
While it seemed fairly predictable that Gonzalo García, the club’s only fit senior centre-forward, would start given Kylian Mbappé‘s knee injury ruling him out, there were increasing suggestions through the week that it may not be the case. So much so, in fact, that Madrid’s leading sports newspaper MARCA predicted a line-up without Gonzalo, but with Rodrygo and Vinícius sharing the front line duties. Gonzalo got the nod and repaid his coach’s faith with two well-taken goals, earning chants of his name from the Bernabéu faithful. Operating as a traditional number nine, he provided an outlet which Real Madrid found themselves reaching to time and time again, with his movement causing Betis real problems. Mbappé was watching on in the stands, and may be fearing for his place when he’s back fit.
3. Would Betis and Manuel Pellegrini be able to take points again at the Bernabéu?
While the Bernabeu usually adds home comfort for Real Madrid, Los Blancos had lost two and drawn four of their last eight home league fixtures against Real Betis heading into this encounter. All four draws ended 0-0 with Manuel Pellegrini knowing how to shut down the Real Madrid attack, and this time one which was blunted without its star man. There was no sign of that defensive security this time, though. An experienced backline included the likes of former Barcelona defender Marc Bartra, but they were easily undone at a set piece where Gonzalo García drifted free to head in, and then dropped off too deep to allow him half a yard of space to score the second. At the other end, there were flashes of threats on the counter, such as Cucho Hernández’s goal, and at set pieces, but Real Madrid looked the most assured they have defensively for some time for the most part of the game.
Three questions
1. Should Gonzalo García be given another chance against Atlético Madrid?
This was only Gonzalo García’s first three league goals for Real Madrid, but with the hat-trick he made a real statement. In particular, it was the nature of both goals. The first being a header, drifting free from a set piece, and the second being another direct ball to create a chance out of nothing as he stepped deep. It’s hard to envisage that Kylian Mbappé, a different mould of forward, would have been in the same position for either chance. This was only Gonzalo’s fourth start of the season, and it was a clear case to show why he should be playing more often. That means attentions turn to Thursday’s battle with Atlético Madrid, where he will again be in contention. Much will likely depend upon Mbappé‘s condition and the state of his knee ligaments. If there is any doubt at all, Madridistas will at least feel a lot more confident having seen this kind of performance from Gonzalo than they did a few days ago.
2. Is Vinícius better without Kylian Mbappé?
It’s been some time since we’ve seen Vinícius Júnior be such a live wire down the left flank. In the first half he started particularly brightly, completing five dribbles in the first 45 minutes alone, and drove inexperienced Real Betis right-back Ángel Ortiz to picking up a yellow card and being hauled off for former Barcelona man Héctor Bellerín at half-time. The Brazilian had a strong penalty shout denied and was involved in almost everything that Real Madrid generated in the first period, pushing forward down the flank every time the ball came out to him and showing no fear to take his man on and exploit the space that Gonzalo García was affording him as he drifted deeper or to the right to give him a target to aim for. But Vine faded in the second half, and his pressing became selective and his movement slowed. If he is to show that he needs to be the main man, as he did in the first half, he needs to sustain that level of performance across a full 90 minutes.
3. When was the last time La Fábrica was so pivotal to a win?
While the importance of the youth academy is clear for all to see at Real Madrid, it’s rare that homegrown players steal the show in the same way that they did on Sunday. In fact, the last 17 men to score in La Liga for Real Madrid were all from abroad. But that run came to an end as Gonzalo García got his first goal in the competition, and was later joined by Raúl Asencio scoring his first goal for Real Madrid and Fran García also got in on the act off the bench. It’s been some time since Real Madrid had homegrown players producing such an influence on a game, especially going forwards. In recent years, the likes of Dani Carvajal and Nacho have brought leadership and defensive solidity, but here the story was a different one.
