Betis crumble at the Bernabéu as defensive frailties exposed
Pellegrini's men see their unbeaten away record shattered as set-piece nightmares and defensive errors lead to a heavy defeat against Real Madrid.
Betis’ impressive away form this season finally hit the buffers in spectacular fashion as they were thoroughly outclassed at the Santiago Bernabéu, ending their unbeaten run on the road since the campaign began.
Set-piece shambles
The Verdiblancos looked completely at sea defending set-pieces, conceding from both a free-kick and corner in what was the worst possible scenario - facing a title contender desperate for a confidence boost before the Spanish Super Cup.
Pellegrini’s men have now lost four league matches this term, all against teams competing in the Champions League - their Achilles heel continuing to haunt them. Athletic Club, Atlético Madrid and Barcelona had previously done the damage (all at La Cartuja), and now Real Madrid join that list of executioners.
Where it went wrong
The Engineer’s attempt to replicate the game plan that worked so well against Getafe fell flat at the Bernabéu:
- Ricardo Rodríguez’s momentary lapse in concentration
- Gonzalo’s stunning strike, slicing through Betis’ central defenders “like they weren’t there”
- Atrocious marking from a corner kick
- Cucho’s 3-1 goal effectively killing the contest
Betis did have a chance to get back into the match when Riquelme struck the post, but lady luck wasn’t having any of it. The defeat extends their winless league run at the Bernabéu to almost seven years - with Pellegrini never tasting victory there as Betis boss.
Silver linings?
If there’s any consolation for the Seville outfit, they remain five points behind fifth place after Espanyol’s defeat to the league leaders. However, European rivals like Celta and Athletic are now breathing down their necks in the battle for continental qualification.
The Chilean gaffer didn’t mince his words post-match about the defensive catastrophe: “We can’t concede two goals from set-pieces with players completely unmarked in our area.”
Defensive concerns mounting
Betis’ previously solid defensive record has been utterly demolished in recent weeks. After shipping five against Barcelona, they’ve now conceded another five against Real Madrid - that’s 10 goals in just two matches, bringing their season total to 24 conceded in 18 games.
Despite maintaining a +6 goal difference thanks to their attacking prowess, it’s clear that sorting out their set-piece defending is top priority if they want to maintain European ambitions. What looked like a well-organized defensive unit earlier in the season now appears to be on very shaky ground indeed.