Real Betis: An Unbeaten Away Record in Domestic Competitions

Only three teams from the five major European leagues (LaLiga, Premier League, Ligue 1, Serie A, and Bundesliga) have managed to avoid defeat in their domestic tournaments away from home this season: Bayern Munich, AC Milan, and Real Betis. However, when considering all competitions, including cups and European commitments, Betis stands out as the only team yet to experience defeat on the road this season.

Bayern suffered a loss in the Champions League against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, while AC Milan was defeated twice away, once in the Coppa Italia against Lazio and another in the Supercoppa di Italia against Napoli. In contrast, Real Betis has not lost in away matches, excelling in both their local tournaments and in the UEFA Europa League. Their three defeats this season occurred at home, against Athletic Club, Atlético de Madrid, and Barcelona.

The team, managed by Manuel Pellegrini, boasts a record of nine wins, eight draws, and no losses in 17 away matches. This statistic positions Pellegrini as the only coach who has not succumbed to defeat on rival territory. In LaLiga, they have faced challenging venues such as La Cerámica, Sánchez Pizjuán, Vallecas, and RCDE Stadium, consistently earning at least one point in each.

In the group stage of the UEFA Europa League, Betis has remained unbeaten both at home and away, securing two victories in Croatia against Dinamo Zagreb and in Bulgaria against Ludogorets, along with a draw in Belgium against Genk. The Copa del Rey has also seen the team navigate through lower-tier clubs without faltering, enhancing Pellegrini’s reputation as the coach with the most games managed and won in Betis history, even heading into the Bernabéu without key player Isco, a recurring absence this season.

Betis alters its approach when playing at home versus away but consistently finds moments to outscore their opponents on the road. Their most productive phases are usually in the second halves of matches, particularly between the 61st and 75th minutes, where they score the majority of their goals while conceding very few.

Conversely, the team’s weak point during away games appears in the opening minutes, where they tend to ‘speculate’ too much, often being outperformed by the home side due to a lack of match rhythm. This season, they have conceded three goals while failing to score in the initial phases of away matches, a stark contrast to their home performance where they have scored three and conceded four in the opening segments.

After the first quarter of the game and leading into halftime, the Sevilla-based club has found the net three times while allowing only one goal, indicating that while they struggle to start strong away from La Cartuja, they tend to improve as the game progresses.

The minutes immediately following halftime are typically balanced yet slightly favorable to Betis. Once they reach the 61st minute, they often find their best moments, scoring four goals while conceding just one. This highlights their tendency to conserve energy in the first half but to attack more effectively and defend cohesively in the latter stages. In the final quarter of games, their statistics level out, receiving two goals while scoring two as well.

In summary, Betis’s primary weakness on the road lies in their first halves, where they concede more goals than they score; however, in the second halves, the team tends to react, often doubling their goals compared to what they allow. Pellegrini’s side finds it challenging to kick off matches, but once they do, they appear unstoppable.

The verdiblanco club is having a season in LaLiga in line with expectations, yet still falling short of a Champions League spot, a target that remains elusive for the engineer. Currently, they sit sixth, five points behind Espanyol, who occupies the fifth position that does not yet guarantee entry into Europe’s elite competition.

A Conference League position in sixth seems inadequate for a team that excels away, primarily due to the numerous draws they have accumulated. With six matches ending in draws and only two victories, Betis, while being difficult to defeat in LaLiga, has only secured three points in 25% of their away games.

This contrasts sharply with their competitors at the top, who, despite some losses away from home, have managed to collect more victories than Betis. For instance, Espanyol, Villarreal, and Celta have two more wins than Pellegrini’s team away from home (three for Villarreal following their recent match against Elche), underscoring that this impressive statistic does not elevate Betis to the desired league standing.

In the away match standings, Betis ranks sixth, trailing behind Real Madrid, Barcelona, Celta, Espanyol, and Villarreal, indicating that avoiding defeat is not sufficient for achieving a Champions League qualification; winning more matches is equally crucial, a feat Betis has managed only twice, against Espanyol and Sevilla.

Pellegrini’s team in LaLiga away from La Cartuja demonstrates their capability to stay in matches even when it seems they are on the brink of defeat. They manage to score first in only half of their away contests in the domestic league. In other instances, they have needed to rally from behind or maintain a clean sheet, such as against Rayo, to uphold their remarkable record of not losing away games.

The team has orchestrated two comebacks from two goals down, both ending with a score of 2-2, against Levante and Villarreal, where they initially found themselves in a 2-0 deficit. Another notable comeback occurred against Espanyol when they turned around an early 1-0 deficit to win 1-2, even saving a penalty in the dying moments of the match.

Previously, Betis had a tendency to concede a goal in every away match in LaLiga. However, in their last two outings, they kept clean sheets, winning 0-2 against Sevilla and drawing 0-0 against Rayo. The team’s defense and goalkeeper have solidified, with Valles achieving four clean sheets in the league, half of which occurred away from La Cartuja. Bartra and Natan have established themselves as the starting central defense partnership, with the Brazilian player surprising many with his level of performance, leading in the competition for clearances.

Moreover, Bartra ranks sixth in LaLiga for interceptions. Collectively, Betis is the second-best team in the tournament for interceptions, averaging nearly nine per game, and ranks third for recoveries per match, behind Athletic Club and Rayo Vallecano.

Betis is the third-highest shooting team in the league, trailing only Barcelona and Real Madrid in attempts. Although Villarreal and Atlético may be more accurate with shots on target, it cannot be said that Betis fails to reach the opposing goal. They also rank third in key passes, without requiring possession in every match (currently eighth in LaLiga for possession percentage).

The team exhibits flexibility, adeptly playing direct football, which has allowed Pellegrini’s side to score in all but one of their away matches this season, except for Vallecas. They have accumulated 11 goals in eight away league games, with only Barcelona and Real Madrid netting more goals on the road, tied with Celta and Villarreal (the latter having played one more match).

The Sevilla-based club is also tied for second in the league for goals scored from headers, alongside Barcelona, only behind Espanyol, making them a significant threat on corner kicks and crosses from the flanks. In their latest match, they triumphed over Getafe 4-0, with the opening goal coming from a right-wing cross by Antony, culminating in a powerful header from Aitor Ruibal; a clear indication of a well-rehearsed training ground move.

Pellegrini faces a challenging test in his next away clash. Today, he will face Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu, a venue where he has yet to secure a victory as Betis manager, although he has managed to earn a point three times, with a 0-0 draw being a frequent outcome. This suggests that Betis, while traditionally a tough opponent for the whites at home, may extend their remarkable away streak a bit longer.