The Andalusian side is the next major test for a Barcelona that has made a perfect start to the season.
Real Betis also have plenty of reasons to be proud of their early performances under Manuel Pellegrini, having enjoyed success in the UEFA Champions League as well as in domestic competitions. Seville has not witnessed anything quite like this in more than 92 years.
Real Betis vs. FC Barcelona will be the highlight of Saturday’s LaLiga action. It is an extremely important match at La Cartuja Stadium, coming amid a busy schedule that includes UEFA Champions League commitments for both teams. While Hansi Flick’s squad continues to enjoy record-breaking performances, Manuel Pellegrini’s men hope to maintain the club’s best start to a season since 1934.
During that historic season, Real Betis achieved numbers similar to those it has posted this campaign. The Verdiblancos recorded eight wins, one draw, and one defeat in their first 10 matches. Coincidence or not, that was the season in which Real Betis Balompié won the Spanish First Division title. Since then, the club has not experienced anything quite like the form Pellegrini’s team has displayed over the past several weeks.
Betis have been one of the most consistent teams in the competition. Since losing to Levante, they have bounced back impressively. The team has even won its first two UEFA Champions League matches and beaten Real Madrid at home. Barcelona is now next, presenting a major challenge ahead of another European fixture. Pellegrini is urging calm amid growing expectations.
“Facing Barcelona is extremely difficult. They have an outstanding ability to finish chances and players with tremendous creativity. We have to be very alert, focused, and intense. We will also create chances, and hopefully we can take them. We need to be extremely concentrated defensively and avoid mistakes because mistakes are punished with goals,” the Chilean coach said during the press conference ahead of the Barcelona match.
On the other side stands a team that appears almost unbeatable at this stage of the season. Barcelona has won every match since the campaign began and has scored 43 goals in its 10 games so far. Flick’s players have even managed to overcome Raphinha’s absence in their last two matches. Saturday’s encounter promises to be one of the most attractive fixtures currently on the LaLiga calendar.
“We also need the footballing ability to maintain our style against an opponent that presses aggressively and makes it very difficult to control the ball. We will go for the three points, and if we fail to get them, it will be because they outplayed us. They have won six consecutive matches, while we have five wins and a draw, so hopefully we can put in a complete performance, make no mistakes, and collect another three points at home, which would be very important,” Manuel Pellegrini explained when discussing how to hurt a Barcelona side that currently appears to have few weaknesses.
The match will attract attention from across Spanish football. Earlier in the day, Atlético Madrid will be looking to claim all three points against Espanyol and close the gap on Barcelona in the LaLiga standings. Real Madrid will host Sevilla late on Sunday, knowing exactly where they stand in the title race and whether a victory would bring them within three points of the Catalan side, just one week before El Clásico.
