Villarreal CF started Gulacsi in goal and bet on an attacking line led by Gerard Moreno and Mikautadze to face Real Betis in matchday five of LaLiga EA Sports 2026-2027, a game played at La Cerámica on Monday, September 13, 2026. Manager Íñigo Pérez surprised by dropping Luiz Junior in favor of the Hungarian Gulacsi, who had previously started in the recent Champions League loss to Borussia Dortmund.

The Villarreal lineup was completed with Mouriño, Pau Navarro, Veiga and Carlos Romero in defense; Pepé, Gueye, Comesaña and Buchanan in midfield; and Gerard Moreno alongside Mikautadze in attack. This formation aims to reverse the team’s poor recent form, as Villarreal have only 2 points from four matches and sit 18th in the table, thirteen points behind leaders Barcelona.

Real Betis, meanwhile, lined up with Álvaro Valles in goal; Bellerín, Bartra, Natan and Fran García in defense; Marc Roca and Fornals in midfield; and Riquelme, Isco, Abde and Cucho in more advanced positions. Moroccan winger Abde earned his first start for the Verdiblancos after missing the Champions League match against Lille, while Facundo Bernal, Antony and Parrott were left out of the matchday squad.

Betis arrived at the fixture with a strong start to the season, having collected nine points from twelve possible in LaLiga and securing notable wins over Real Madrid and Lille in Champions League. Additionally, the club had named 24 players for the match, one of whom would be omitted before kickoff, and there was speculation about a possible debut for Dani Ceballos in his second spell at the club.

Íñigo Pérez, Villarreal CF head coach, commented after the lineup was revealed: "Tiene trabajo por delante Íñigo Pérez para enderezar el rumbo de un equipo en construcción." This statement reflects the existing pressure to improve the team’s performance, which has conceded eight goals so far this season and suffered its last league defeat at home against Deportivo de La Coruña.

The match presents a key opportunity for Villarreal CF to earn their first points of the season and escape the relegation zone, especially given that their next fixture is an away trip to Málaga on September 17, a side currently sitting 17th in the table. Fans can check the squad list and upcoming fixtures on our squad and fixtures pages.

Background and full detail: ABC Deportes