Pellegrini fuming at set-piece shambles as Madrid put five past Betis
The Engineer slams Betis' defensive lapses from dead-ball situations after Real Madrid thrash his side 5-1 at the Bernabéu, despite moments of promise.
Manuel Pellegrini’s men were given a proper spanking at the Bernabéu as Real Madrid ran riot with a 5-1 victory that leaves Betis licking their wounds.
Set-piece nightmares
The Chilean gaffer was absolutely gutted about the manner of the goals conceded, particularly highlighting the shocking defending from set-pieces that saw Madrid players nodding home completely unmarked.
“No pueden hacer dos goles a balón parado cabeceando absolutamente solos,” fumed Pellegrini, clearly vexed that his team had gifted Madrid two goals from dead-ball situations where attackers were left in acres of space.
This defensive disorganisation proved costly as it effectively killed any chance of Betis making a proper game of it, despite some promising attacking moments that saw them hit the woodwork multiple times.
Moments of promise amid the shambles
Despite the heavy scoreline, there were periods where Betis looked competitive:
- The final 20 minutes of the first half saw Betis growing into the game
- They had several chances that struck the post
- Courtois was forced into some decent saves
- Giovani Lo Celso earned praise from Pellegrini for his second-half impact
However, any positives were thoroughly overshadowed by the defensive calamities that ultimately led to their second five-goal hammering of the season, following a similar collapse against Barcelona.
No excuses
Pellegrini refused to use Mbappé’s absence as an excuse, pointing out that Madrid’s squad depth means they can handle missing even their biggest stars. Instead, he acknowledged Madrid’s quality while maintaining his side contributed to their own downfall.
The Engineer was also clear that despite this hammering, Betis won’t abandon their philosophy of trying to play football rather than parking the bus, even against the biggest teams.
European aspirations
When questioned about whether this defeat damages their Champions League ambitions, Pellegrini remained measured. He emphasized that Betis remain close to fifth place and are still active in two cup competitions.
The focus now will be on quickly putting this result behind them and getting back to the form that had seen them on a good run prior to this Bernabéu battering. For now though, it’s a proper kick in the Khyber that’ll require some serious soul-searching.