The Real Betis coach, prepared for the clash against Barcelona: “They have lost three games at home”

Following their Super Cup triumph at the weekend, Barcelona will look to continue their momentum when they take on Real Betis in the Copa del Rey this week.

The Catalans are coming off a victory over Barbastro in the round of 32. But things could get much more complicated against a Betis team looking to surprise.

Looking ahead to this match, Betis’ veteran coach, Manuel Pellegrini, spoke about his team’s chances of achieving that surprise.

Manuel Pellegrini before the clash against Barcelona

“He is a very tough rival, of course. Barcelona at home is not the ideal draw, but we will still go for the victory.” Pellegrini started (h/t Sports World).

The former Manchester City manager, however, pointed out that Barcelona have dropped points at home this season.

“We must not forget that they have lost three games at home, one against Las Palmas and another against Leganés,”he added.

Speaking about Real Betis’ strategy to stop Barcelona’s momentum, Pellegrini highlighted the need to play to their full potential.

“On Sunday they played very well against Real Madrid and that is football: we are going to try to cushion all the great virtues they have and play the game we played here, where we had many more chances of winning than them.” said.

Looking ahead to this crucial matter, Betis have suffered a severe blow as top scorer Giovani Lo Celso has been ruled out with an injury.

However, that will not prevent Betis from putting up a tough contest and repeating their December performance, where they managed to tie Barça.

“We are going to try to show there why we could have beaten them here in the game that ended 2-2. Barcelona’s last performance was very good, without a doubt, but they have lost three games at home.” he commented.

“Football is unpredictable and we don’t know what the game will be like, that’s why it is such a popular sport, because many things cannot be explained.

“What I do hope for is a Betis that has personality to try to advance to the next round and if we don’t make it it will be because Barcelona played better and not because we played a bad game, that’s what we have to do.” important,” he added.

When asked if Barcelona’s players might feel hungover after a week-long trip to Saudi Arabia, Pellegrini admitted it was not an ideal setting for the opposition.

“It is not ideal for a match, but as I always say, the result will be decided by individual performance and collective functioning.

“I hope we play the game we did here against Barcelona because we had so many scoring opportunities that we should have won. They are different games, now we are out and we hope to play a good game.” said.

Finally, Pellegrini responded to questions about Real Betis’ inconsistent form this season. The coach argued that this has been the case for almost all La Liga teams this season.

“It’s not just Betis. It’s happening to all teams. “Barcelona lost three games at home when they seemed unbeatable and then scored five goals against Madrid.” said.

“All teams have bad games, but more than the bad games, I am bothered by the points we have wasted at home by playing very good games. The defeats have been deserved, especially in the Conference, but in the League we should add several more points.” he concluded.