Betis Achieves Significant Victory in LaLiga as European Aspirations Rise

omidbasir- The 24th matchday of LaLiga EA Sports concludes this Monday with the matchup between Girona and Barcelona at Montilivi. Notably, this round proved to be exceptionally fruitful for Real Betis, who achieved their third consecutive victory in the league by defeating Mallorca 2-1 at Son Moix. This win not only bolsters their European aspirations but also brings them closer to competing for a major challenge.

Under the guidance of coach Manuel Pellegrini, the team entered the match with the awareness that their closest rivals, Espanyol and Celta, had dropped points by drawing against each other on Saturday. Furthermore, they were cognizant of the Real Sociedad’s heavy defeat at the Santiago Bernabéu. However, they also recognized that opportunities existed above them in the standings, with Villarreal losing to Getafe and Atlético Madrid suffering a significant setback against Rayo Vallecano in Leganés.

For Pellegrini’s side, the three points had seldom held such value. Employing a tactical approach similar to their previous week’s strategy against Atlético, the team maintained a compact formation, minimizing spaces for their opponents and opting for rapid counter-attacks. This effective plan allowed them to lead 2-0 at halftime, a score that Mallorca could not overturn despite Muriqi’s goal for a final score of 1-2.

With this victory, Betis has established a six-point advantage over Espanyol, a seven-point lead over Celta, and ten points ahead of Real Sociedad and Athletic Club, who are gradually attempting to re-enter the European race. Securing their fifth position in the standings is not the only reward; the win positions them just four points away from the Champions League qualification spots, as Atlético Madrid struggles with two consecutive defeats and Villarreal faces challenges with a game in hand.

At this stage last season, Betis was trailing the fourth-placed team by 13 points, and two years ago, the gap was ten points. Current statistics are comparable to the 2022-23 season, where after 24 matches, they were only three points shy of Champions League contention. Under Pellegrini’s tenure, only in the 2021-22 season did the team find themselves among the top four at this point in the campaign. This significant growth was unexpected, especially considering that during their inaugural season with the coach, they were 14 points behind the fourth-placed team by this date.

The verdiblancos made a strong impact in their first match since early January, having not competed midweek. Following their elimination from the Cup by Atlético, the coaching staff enjoyed six full days to prepare for the trip to Son Moix, a challenge they successfully navigated despite not being able to recover all players. They will have two more opportunities to build on this momentum, facing Rayo next weekend at La Cartuja, followed by the second and final Sevilla derby of the season on March 1, also at the same venue. Such fixtures could greatly elevate the excitement around a potential return to the Champions League after more than 20 years.