Betis face Metropolitano mission impossible at the worst possible time
Pellegrini's men head to Atlético Madrid's fortress where they've never won, just days after a Copa humiliation against the same opponents
Betis are walking into a proper nightmare scenario this weekend, heading to a ground where they’ve never tasted victory at the worst possible moment in their season.
Metropolitano misery looms
The Verdiblancos are still reeling from Thursday’s Copa del Rey quarter-final hammering, where Atlético Madrid absolutely steamrollered them 5-0 at La Cartuja. Now, less than 72 hours later, they must face the same opponent at the Metropolitano Stadium – a venue where Betis have a truly dismal record.
Since Simeone’s men moved from the Vicente Calderón to their new digs, Betis have visited eight times and come away with precisely zero wins. Their record stands at one draw and seven consecutive defeats. Talk about visiting the lion’s den at the worst possible moment!
Tactical rethink needed
Pellegrini appears to be questioning his own approach against Spain’s elite clubs. The Chilean gaffer has hinted that his strategy of going toe-to-toe with the likes of Atlético, Barcelona and Real Madrid simply isn’t working this term. The numbers back him up:
- 5 goals conceded against each of Spain’s ‘big three’ in their last meetings
- Two heavy defeats in La Liga
- Thursday’s Copa del Rey embarrassment
All signs point to Pellegrini needing to adopt a more conservative approach for Sunday’s clash. The days of trying to play pretty football against the big boys might need to be temporarily shelved.
Injury crisis deepens
As if the task wasn’t difficult enough, Betis are facing an absolute mare on the injury front. Several key players remain sidelined:
- Bellerin, Isco, Lo Celso and Amrabat are completely ruled out
- Cucho Hernández, their main attacking threat, is unlikely to recover in time despite pushing for a return
The gaffer will need to pull something special out of his whistle and flute (suit) if Betis are to avoid another hammering that would only intensify the growing doubts around the team.
Silver lining
The one small positive for Betis is that Celta Vigo’s defeat at Balaídos means they’ll remain in the European spots regardless of Sunday’s result. That gives them another week to “hang in there” while they desperately await the return of their injured stars.