It was a tense match between two defensively sound sides; Atlético Madrid’s solid defensive structure kept Real Betis at bay, whilst the away side’s desperate last-ditch defending was nearly enough to keep the hosts off of the scoresheet. It was a late goal from substitute Ángel Correa that gave Atlético Madrid the three points, keeping […]
For a goalless draw, this was a relatively entertaining game. Betis will likely be content with a point, but Madrid will be left to rue not only their missed chances to score but also the missed opportunity to reduce the points gap at the top of LaLiga. Tactical analysis and match report by Nick Smoothy. […]
Real Betis and Barcelona have produced a glutton of goals in their latest clashes, but this fixture was an edgier contest. The league leaders allowed their hosts to make them sweat at the end but gained their due reward for their territorial and ball dominance in their pursuit of silverware. Tactical analysis and match report […]
Barcelona overcame Real Betis’ challenge to set up a final against Real Madrid. It was a game of two halves. Xavi’s side dominated the midfield in the first half, while Betis began penetrating Barcelona’s defense in the second. In the end, Marc-André ter Stegen’s penalty shootout heroics was the difference between the sides. Tactical analysis […]
In a match that had serious European qualification ramifications, it ended up being Real Betis who stole the three points. La Real were the better side for the first eighty-five minutes of play, but late goals from Juan Cruz and Borja Iglesias (both created brilliantly by Alex Moreno) put the away side ahead to take […]
Manuel Pellegrini prefers to focus on the players and offense in an age of complex structures and a league obsessed with defensive organization. Let’s talk about how his Real Betis plays a more offensive game and optimizes for players, using player relationships instead of a rigid structure. Written by José Pérez. Strangely, Manuel Pellegrini chose […]
In a wasteful performance from Villarreal, they threw away a number of quality chances that easily could have earned them two or three goals on another night. Real Betis were not much better, though they were able to put one past Villarreal’s elite defense and see out their well-earned lead to vault themselves back into […]
In a match between the two top sides in LaLiga (the only teams with three wins from three matches), the reigning champions outclassed their competition. It was a lively match, with both teams playing quick attacking football, but Real Madrid’s higher quantity (and quality) of chances allowed them to find the back of the net […]
Barcelona’s tactical setup gave them advantages over Betis in this match, however it took them some time to finally make it count. Before that could happen, Xavi’s side also had to deal with a few dangerous Betis attacks, particularly in transition. In the end it was Jordi Alba who won the game for Barcelona late […]
It took extra time and penalties for Manuel Pellegrini’s Real Betis to overcome a steadfast Valencia side. Valencia’s conservative approach (and the woodwork) kept them in the match, though a miss from Yunus Musah in the penalty shootout would end up being the factor that saw them fall short of the title. Tactical analysis and […]