Forever Betis

Real Betis 1-0 Celta de Vigo

That was paiiiinful. Betis looked lethargic, clumsy and tactically confused this afternoon but somehow still managed to stumble to three points, thanks to a strange Rubén Castro goal on 67 minutes and a helpful linesman's erroneous decision to rule out a Celta goal for offside a little while later. Not that the visitors really deserved a point; unlike Deportivo a fortnight ago, Celta were fairly clueless and should have been dispatched much more comfortably than they were. As it was, we all had to endure half an hour of unnecessary sufrimiento before the three points could be counted safely, but with Getafe and Rayo both losing earlier this weekend, it's definitely true that Betis are now very well placed in the race for Europe. Defeat for Sevilla at Málaga tonight would just be the icing on a rather fortunate cake.

I've learned that when in the first quarter of an hour it looks like only a matter of time before Betis score, this usually means that the goal will actually be a long time coming. And so it was this afternoon.  The home side had two early goals narrowly ruled out for offside in the first few minutes, and with Nosa looking a real handful in the hole between Beñat and Rubén Castro, it was easy to assume that the opener was only around the corner. But the mid-30s heat seemed to tell very early on, and both sides' lack of energy made for a dull first half overall. Rubén Castro and Juan Carlos both had clear sights of Javi Varas's goal, and Adrián was called upon to make one very sharp save from Iago Aspa, but it was scoreless at half-time and deservedly so.

The first real incident of the second period was the early substitution of Nosa, who was so far and away Betis's most dangerous player that one has to assume his longstanding pelvic problems were giving  him trouble. If nothing else, Nosa, who today showed some of that powerful running with the ball we saw on the YouTube videos before the season started, has certainly given us something to get excited about for next season.

But his loss was no gain for Betis, who still struggled to hit top gear. For once Rubén Castro and Dorlan Pabón struggled to make contact with each other, and the replacement of a listless Juan Carlos by Álvaro Vadillo didn't improve things on the other flank, either. Things just weren't happening.

And then Rubén Castro scored and at least we had the lead. Javi Chica played a simple pass down the right wing to Forlan Pabón, who realised he was in an offside position and stepped away from the ball, allowing Chica to continue his run and whip in a nice, but clearable cross. For some reason, however, a Celta defender slipped when about to head clear, and ended up ducking instead. Rubén just had to make contact to put the ball past Vargas and give the 38,500 present something to cheer about at last.

In theory, that should have been the cue for some lethal Betis counterattacking football, but too many wrong decisions and inexact passing meant that several decent positions were wasted, while Celta were allowed to make several proper chances of their own, including an "offside" Tuñez goal that every report says was perfectly legal. In the end, Betis - and their fans - were begging the ref to blow his damn whistle, which, eventually, he did. It hadn't been pretty, but we'll take it.

Betis: Adrián; Chica, Mario (Paulao, m.70), Amaya, Nacho; Rubén Pérez, Beñat, Nosa (Salva Sevilla, m. 54); Rubén Castro, Juan Carlos (Vadillo, m. 58) y Pabón.

Goal: 1-0, m. 67 , Rubén Castro.

Attendance: 38.547

Live thread: Betis-Celta

It's a scorching day here in Seville - in bizarre contrast to the last home game, when I was as cold as I can ever remember being at the Benito Villamarín - and I frankly can't wait to get down to Heliópolis to sample the atmosphere. Such a big crowd is expected that the club have asked people to get there good and early, and everything's set up for a memorable afternoon. Basically, it would be an ideal day for Rubén Castro, who hasn't scored in open play for an age, to remember where the goal is.

As ever, use the Comments below for any and all observations, wherever and however you're following the game. A big ¡Musho Betis! to everyone.

Preview: Real Betis v. Celta de Vigo (5pm)

Listening to radio commentary of yesterday's time trial in cycling's Giro d'Italia, I heard the commentators describe how the last few hundred metres were so steep that the competitors looked to be barely moving forward as they approached the finish. A bit like Betis, I thought.

Because that's really how it's seemed here lately, with a combination of difficult opponents, missed chances and perhaps general fatigue ensuring that however hard Pepe Mel's team have pedalled, their visible progress has been pretty much nil. They've managed just two draws from their most recent four games, have picked up only six points from the last 21, and haven't won at home for more than two months - and that's all without playing terribly. It's just been a struggle.

But luckily it does look downhill -  in a bicycling sense - all the way from here. Betis's last four games of the season are against three of the division's worst sides and another, Levante, that lost interest a long time ago. No doubt there will be the odd footballing hairpin bend to negotiate, but there's really no reason why this talented Betis side shouldn't be able to freewheel into that well-deserved Europa Cup spot over the next three weeks.

It does mean, however, that today's game is vital - easily the most important since the derbi. Absolutely everything is in Betis's favour, but that all counts for nothing if they don't turn up and play. Celta are statistically the worst away side in Primera by a comfortable margin, they're without several key players through injury and suspension, they had a tough rearranged game in midweek against Atlético Madrid, and this afternoon they'll be required to play in temperatures of around 35 degrees, about double what they will have been used to up in Galicia. But as Wigan Athletic proved so movingly in London yesterday, in football you can have everything against you and still emerge triumphant. Betis be warned.

For the home side, Jorge Molina and Cañas are absent with minor injuries, which apparently means Pepe Mel is considering a kind of 4-1-4-1 formation. Rubén Pérez would be the sole defensive midfielder behind a very interesting combination of Beñat and Nosa in the middle of the park, with Juan Carlos on one wing, Pabón or Joel Campbell on the other and Rubén Castro upfront on his own (but presumably well supported by Nosa). And barring accidents and a sort of unaccountable lack of oomph that afflicts Betis from time to time, that line-up should be enough to see off demoralised opponents.

Apart from anything else, the 11 chaps in green and white shirts won't be lacking in support. Seats in the stand opposited the TV cameras - available for €10 to the club's Facebook and Twitter followers - have entirely sold out, which I think just about guarantees an attendance of more than 40,000. In addition, season-ticket holders can get kids under 14 in for just €3, and the club are laying on a full programme of child-friendly activities outside the stadium beforehand. Clown-phobics should probably stay away.

So, all in all, everything's set up for a straightforward home win - which is exactly why any self-respecting Bético can hear the warning sirens wail already. With the chasing pack ready to swallow us up, Betis can't afford anything less than three points today, but I have a horrible feeling that this vital home win is not going to prove as easy as it should do.

 

Another name for the shopping list

All the signs are that Beñat will return to the starting line-up tomorrow after being rested last week, but that doesn't mean Betis aren't still working to find his long-term replacement. The latest potential candidate to fill the Basque midfielder's boots is former Real Madrid player Esteban Granero, now with just-relegated Queen's Park Rangers of the English Premier League. The skilful 25-year-old apparently doesn't fancy sticking around in West London to play Championship football and is known to have a fan in Pepe Mel.

"Yes, he interests us, there's no point in denying it," the Betis coach told a local radio show the other night. "He was close to coming here a year ago, but he went elsewhere for the money. But there's more to life than that, and I think he knows it."

Even so - and despite his agent's later statement that Granero is prepared to "make every effort" to reach an agreement with Betis - it's still hard to see how a player who cost €10million a year ago, and currently earns about three times more than Betis's best-paid player, could end up here. Aren't there bound to be better-heeled suitors out there somewhere?

Perhaps not. Back in the autumn Granero was being included alongside Michu and Santi Cazorla in articles about the Premier League's new "Spanish armada", but he seemed to fade as fast as QPR's hopes of staying up. Long-time reader Luke Curner left this really interesting analysis on the blog's Facebook page yesterday:

There are a few reports in the UK of Granero signing for Betis in the summer...He started off really well for QPR at the beginning of the season and looked like he could be a good buy but things soon turned sour and I don't think he could handle the pace of the game, kept getting closed down from wanting too much time on the ball. The last half of the season he couldn't even get in the team ahead of Shaun Derry! 

I hope he does better for Betis if he does decide to go there

From what I've seen, there's every chance that he's classy enough to re-find his form once back in Spain, but, as I said above, I do think it's more likely he'll end up with a club like Valencia or Espanyol. If not, though, we'll certainly have him.

Window shopping

When I was having a spring clean of my mobile phone's memory the other day, I kept coming across pointless pictures of Betis-related products that I'd spotted in shop windows around Seville over the last couple of years. And what is the point of having this blog if I'm not going to use it as a dumping ground for pointless pitctures of Betis-related products that I've spotted in show windows around Seville?

For the frequent flyer: luxury travel pillow, cushion and slippers

 

For the lady in your life: expensive designer jewellery
 

For the home-lover: the doormat of your dreams

 

For the dedicated follower of fashion: leisure shoes for all occasions

 

Actually, I have no idea whether this T-shirt - which explains the Latin derivation of the word "Bético" - has anything to do with football, especially as it's on sale in a shop that sells mostly antique prints and arty homemade notebooks, but it is kind of striking

You're right - I should probably get out less.

The Spanish Fergie?

As you might have heard, the English Premier League's longest-serving manager announced his retirement today. Coincidentally - or perhaps not - his decision came a day after the Spanish Primera's equivalent made his own intentions to move on abundantly clear. (If you haven't read the details of José Mourinho's hilariously bridge-burning press conference on Tuesday, this article gives a good sumary.) The differnce between them? Just the small matter of 24 years in the job.

I've mentioned before that time spent as boss of a Spanish football club works something like dog years, but this is probably a suitable time for a quick reminder that the moment Mourinho and Real Madrid come to their surely inevitable decision to divorce, our own Pepe Mel will instantly become the longest-reigning coach in Primera - most likely before the third anniversary of his appointment. By all accounts he and Betis will be sitting down this summer to negotiate an extension to his current contract - which ends in June 2014 - but even if he isn't still around in 2037, he's already demonstrated Ferguson-class stickability just by getting this far. Relatively speaking, that is.

Down to the final four

It's fair to say that the Betis team received mixed reviews for their performance last night in the Camp Nou. While some observers thought they did OK, at least for the first hour, others were much harsher in their judgment - including, most unusually, coach Pepe Mel. "We weren't aggressive enough," he complained afterwards. "Of all the games we've played here lately, this was our weakest performance. From 1-2 up, if we'd been our normal selves we wouldn't have lost. We needed to be more purposeful."

Mel reportedly had a go at his players in training last week, and there's more than a suspicion that he's worried they're merely coasting to the end of the season. Betis might have spent the last 10 weeks at seventh or better in Primera, but this hides the fact that in a league table of the season's second half they'd be right down at fifth from bottom - a very disappointing return after such a promising first three or four months.

If there was one positive to take from last night, however, it has to be the performance of Nosa, who got Béticos dreams of next season with a strong all-round display that showed a bit of everything - passing, tackling, composure on the ball and physical strength. Pepe Mel would say no more than he'd played "acceptably", but the club's Twitter followers voted him Cruzcampo MVP and if nothing else he's definitely dispelled any doubts that he's a young player with plenty of potential. He reportedly needs an operation on a pelvis problem - which makes his game last night even more creditable - but I'm probably not alone in hoping that on Sunday he's allowed to make a first home appearance since that derbi equaliser. Betis certainly lost their way last night once he'd left the field with cramp - and that sort of cluelessness is going to prove very costly if it happens again in the next month.

How it happened

In my match report last night I might have been a bit kind on Betis, whom most other observers seem to agree were only spared a much heavier defeat by David Villa's wastefulness in front of goal in the first half. Either way, what really matters now are the four games remaining: Celta at home, Malloca away, Zaragoza at home and Levante away. In none of them are we very likely to come across anyone who can take a free-kick like the one you'll see in the video below.

Barcelona 4-2 Real Betis

There's something about playing football against Lionel Messi that doesn't quite seem fair. If you didn't see this game, all you really need to know is that when his coach decided to put him on the pitch near the start of the second half Betis were leading 1-2 - and even if he only scored two of his side's subsequent three goals, I don't think anyone watch could deny that his very presence made all the difference. Barcelona without him, as Bayern Munich showed on Wednesday, can seem rather ordinary; with him, on the other hand, they suddenly look like, well, Barcelona - and tonight that was enough to see off a plucky Betis side. Same old, same old, as they say.

Betis set up more or less as advertised, with Beñat on the bench, Rubén Pérez and Nosa in the middle, Salva Sevilla slightly on the right and Pabón, Molina and Rubén Castro across the front line. And that attacking formation paid dividends from as early as the second minute, when a headed clearance from Álex Martínez at left-back eventually found its way through to Pabón, who finished like the seasoned pro he so obviously is. 0-1 more or less straight from kick-off felt like a very nice little bonus indeed.

The lead didn't last long, needless to say, with Alexis meeting an Iniesta cross before 10 minutes were gone, but Betis continued to make almost as many chances as their hosts throughout the first half. And they got their reward just before half-time, when Nosa made a telling tackle on the edge of the Barcelona area, received the ball back from Rubén Castro and slipped it to Rubén Pérez...who smacked in an unstoppable shot from about 25 yards out. As far as anyone can work  out, that was his first goal at first-team level - in which case he should probably retire now.

So, 1-2 at half-time, and even after injured Jorge Molina was replaced by Beñat, requiring a tactical rejig, Betis looked just as likely to score a third as Barça were to equalise. Nosa, now on the left, was having another very promising game, the Barcelona defence were only barely coping with the pace of Rubén Castro and Pabón, and Xavi and Iniesta weren't seeing enough of the ball to do much damange.

But then David Villa took advantage of feeble defeding to head in the equaliser and was immediately replaced by Messi...and that was that. His first goal, within five minutes of his arrival, was the most perfect free-kick you'll ever likely to see; his second, a tap-in after clever quick passing that his team-mates simply didn't seem capable of before he came on. Betis didn't know what had hit them.

The game drifted disappointingly to a close thereafter, with the visitors losing much of their muscle when Nosa went off injured with 20 minutes to go and Barcelona more than happy to preserve their two-goal cushion without straining for another.

So, another trip to Catalonia, another brave defeat. That's all very well, but the need for points is starting to get urgent, especially with Sevilla now just three back. Betis have four very winnable games - and no excuses - left. Get to it, boys.

Betis: Adrián; Chica, Mario, Amaya, Álex Martínez; R. Pérez, S. Sevilla (Vadillo, m. 58), Nosa (Campbell, m. 68); R. Castro, Pabón, Jorge Molina (Beñat, m. 46).

Goals: 0-1, m. 1, Pabón. 1-1, m.8, Alexis. 1-2, m. 42, R. Pérez. 2-2, m. 55 Villa. 3-2, m. 59 Messi. 4-2, m. 71 Messi.

Live thread: Barcelona-Betis

I suppose that, strictly speaking, it's true to say that Betis have only won one of their last six matches, but on the whole they haven't been playing all that badly and could easily have taken something from the games they lost to Valencia and Real Madrid. Is that sort of form good enough to worry a riled Barcelona side? We'll find out very soon. 

I'm sure the game is being shown around the world, so give the boys in green and white a cheer wherever you are - and feel free to chatter about the action in the Comments below. ¡Musho Betis!