Betis vs Barcelona: leader Barça faces in-form Betis at La Cartuja

Betis and Barcelona face off this Saturday at La Cartuja in one of the most anticipated fixtures of the LaLiga weekend. The Catalan side arrive as outright leaders with a perfect winning record, while the Andalusians sit third and are enjoying a superb run of form that has matched the best league start in the club's entire history.

• Barcelona lead the table with a perfect record and are chasing a ninth consecutive win to open a LaLiga season, which would equal Real Madrid's mark from 1968-69.
• Betis have matched their best-ever league start, set in 1934-35, and currently occupy third place in the standings.
• Hansi Flick has Raphinha, the team's top scorer in LaLiga with 12 goals, and Frenkie de Jong back in the matchday squad.
• The Seville-based side have not beaten Barcelona at home in LaLiga since 29 March 2008.
• The match comes ahead of a demanding week for Barça, who face PSG and Real Madrid next.

Barcelona eye a ninth straight win to match a Real Madrid record

Hansi Flick's team have been breaking records all season long. Barcelona have dispatched Elche, Athletic Club, Rayo Vallecano, Valencia, Levante, Racing, Sevilla and Getafe across their eight LaLiga matches, and have also won both games in the Champions League. Now they have a milestone within reach: nine consecutive victories to open a domestic league campaign.

Winning at La Cartuja would allow them to equal the record set by Miguel Muñoz's Real Madrid in the 1968-69 season. Barça's current run is built not only on results but also on the dominant style of their football, with several of those wins coming by large margins and reinforcing their status as the team to beat in Spain.

Raphinha and De Jong return ahead of PSG and Real Madrid tests

Flick has welcomed back key players for the trip to Seville. Raphinha, the team captain and Barça's leading scorer in LaLiga with 12 goals, returns to the squad after missing the last two matches with a swelling issue picked up while playing for Brazil during the international break. He is expected to start on the bench but his availability boosts the league leaders' attacking options.

Frenkie de Jong also makes his return. The Dutch midfielder tore the medial collateral ligament in his right knee during the World Cup and has been working his way back to full fitness. He is not expected to start either, but could earn minutes in the second half. Hamza, meanwhile, did not travel with the first team due to a technical decision and will feature for the reserve side.

Betis match their best start since 1934-35 and target an end to a 16-year drought

Manuel Pellegrini's side have opened the campaign with remarkable consistency. The Andalusians have matched their most successful start to a league season, a benchmark that had stood since the 1934-35 campaign. The numbers reflect an excellent moment for a team that also arrives boosted by a Champions League comeback against Porto.

Facing Barcelona represents a major challenge, and not only because of the visitors' current form. Betis have not beaten the Catalan club at home in LaLiga since 29 March 2008, a drought that has now lasted more than 16 years. Pellegrini has named the same squad that achieved the European comeback, leaving out Junior, Aitor and Losada.

Squad rotation and workload management in a defining week for both teams

The fixture list offers no respite for either side. Barcelona are entering a demanding stretch: after the match at La Cartuja, they face PSG in the Champions League and Real Madrid in LaLiga. Flick has stressed the need to remain fully focused on Betis, well aware that the Andalusians have shown they can compete with anyone.

On the other side, the build-up of matches is forcing Pellegrini to rely on squad depth. The Chilean coach has repeatedly made clear that the domestic league is his priority, so rotations are expected in the starting lineup as he manages the workload of a squad performing at an outstanding level across all competitions.

How Betis and Barcelona shape up ahead of the La Cartuja clash

The fixture has all the ingredients to become one of the most appealing of the weekend. Barcelona will look to assert their authority and remain unbeaten at the top, while Betis will try to use the momentum from their strong start to test a side that has seemed unstoppable so far. Two teams in clear upward form meet at a perfect moment for a spectacle.

Betis have not beaten Barcelona at home in LaLiga since 29 March 2008, and now they welcome the leaders backed by the best league start in the club's history.