The Europa League Last 16 is upon us and Manchester United have drawn yet another Spanish side. Betis will face the Red Devils for the first time in their history, and although the tie doesn’t quite carry the same glamour as United-Barcelona, there is plenty to look forward to in this contest.
The two sides arrive with contrasting emotions. Betis have closed the gap on the top four in LaLiga to just three points, and earned a creditable goalless draw against Real Madrid last Sunday. United want to forget Sunday as quickly as possible. Despite knocking out Barcelona and ending their own six-year trophy drought within the last fortnight, it is the anguish of their historic Anfield humiliation that will be at the forefront of United minds.
Erik ten Hag demands high standards, and will be expecting a reaction, but who might miss out as a consequence of Sunday’s performance? Bruno Fernandes, Antony, Casemiro and Lisandro Martínez were all singled out for criticism by the media, yet the latter two have been significant reasons behind United’s apparent resurgence, Fernandes is the captain and Antony scored the winner against Barça two weeks ago.
The publication of the team sheet will be eagerly anticipated in the Old Trafford press room. Likewise, the crowd at the stadium will want a fast start to help banish the memories of their crushing reversal, which dents confidence, but pride too, especially coming against their biggest rivals.
It is a peculiar facet of football that it defies logic at times. United got the better of Barça, Barça have beaten Real Madrid twice in 2023, Madrid thrashed Liverpool at Anfield, but United were torn apart on Merseyside. Almost inexplicable when seen together, but the manner of the defeat resembled the United of previous seasons as opposed to their upward curve in 2022/23. How they react will define this tie and the rest of their campaign.
As for Betis, they are coping with a thinner squad and higher expectations. Copa del Rey holders, fans now want more European nights like this one. Openly expressing their wish to play Champions League football next season, Betis have demonstrated their ability to play against the best. Their draw with Real Madrid is even more impressive given they were without Nabil Fekir and Sergio Canales, the latter in a race against time to be fit for Old Trafford, the former out for the season.
Last season they were eliminated at this very stage, but only after conceding an own goal in the 121st minute away from home against the eventual winners, Eintracht Frankfurt. Now more defensively solid and progressively pragmatic, Betis can be quietly confident of being in the contest ahead of the return leg in Seville.
United have faced Spanish sides on a regular basis in recent years; all of Sevilla, Real Sociedad twice, Granada, Villarreal twice, Atlético Madrid and Barcelona since the pandemic in 2020. Contrastingly, Betis have only played Liverpool and Chelsea, taking one draw and two defeats from their previous visits to England. Their only goal on English soil came back in 1998 at Stamford Bridge in the Cup Winners’ Cup.
As for Manuel Pellegrini, he has much fonder memories, specifically in Manchester. He is back and relishing the opportunity to take on United, just as he did when he was City manager between 2013 and 2016. Combined with his spell at West Ham, he has faced United 13 times, winning five and only losing three. He has seen his sides keep four clean sheets in six visits to Old Trafford, starting with two 0-0’s with Villarreal in the Sir Alex Ferguson era. Ahead of the game, he showed his wit and charm by alluding to his sky blue connections, admitting that he was “not very sad” to see the result at Anfield on Sunday.
In many ways this is a free hit for Betis, but they will not see themselves as the heavy underdogs the odds suggest. Knowing they will have to perform at their best level to get a result, there is a belief in the project and a self-confidence that is increasing all the time. Now they have a chance to go and prove it on the grand stage.