Betis' European dream hinges on fixing their bogey team blues
Manuel Pellegrini's side fell just short of their 30-point first-half target, with their struggles against bottom-half teams potentially costing them a Champions League spot.
Missing their 30-point target by the narrowest margin, Real Betis must now address a glaring issue if they’re to keep their European ambitions alive for next season.
Pellegrini’s half-term report
The Chilean gaffer sets a 30-point target for the first half of each season - the magic number he believes guarantees his side remains in the European hunt. The Verdiblancos have fallen just short with 29 points, meaning they’ll need to step it up a notch after the halfway mark if they fancy Europa League football next term, let alone a surprise Champions League push.
What’s particularly interesting about Betis’ campaign is their loss record. They’ve only tasted defeat four times all season, and exclusively against Champions League teams:
- Home losses to Athletic Club, Atlético Madrid and Barcelona
- A solitary away defeat at the Bernabéu against Real Madrid
The elephant in the room
Here’s where it gets proper frustrating for the Betis faithful. For all their resilience against the big boys, they’ve developed a worrying habit of dropping points against teams they should be putting to the sword.
As matchday 19 kicked off, the bottom four spots in La Liga were occupied by Oviedo, Levante, Valencia and Girona. Would you Adam and Eve it - Betis haven’t managed to beat a single one of them! Four draws from four matches against the division’s basement dwellers represents eight points dropped from a possible twelve.
Those missing points would have Pellegrini’s men not just back in fifth spot (which they recently surrendered), but breathing down Atlético Madrid’s neck for that coveted fourth Champions League position.
Areas for improvement
Yesterday’s match at Carlos Tartiere perfectly illustrated their issues. Despite creating four clear-cut chances in the first half, they couldn’t complete a comeback against an Oviedo side that hadn’t scored at home for nearly four months and hasn’t won since September.
Defensive frailties continue to haunt them, particularly on their travels, where winning has become something of a rarity. The good news? They’ll host Oviedo, Levante and Valencia at La Cartuja in the second half of the season, with only a trip to Montilivi among their relegation-threatened fixtures.
With European qualification vital for the club’s continued economic growth, Betis must find a way to convert these frustrating draws into wins. Being tough to beat is one thing, but actually winning matches is quite another - and it’s the latter that will determine whether we see the green and whites in continental competition next season.