Pellegrini warns: ‘Defend what we’ve achieved and don’t look up’

Manuel Pellegrini addressed the media ahead of Betis’ trip to Galicia for the match against Deportivo La Coruña, underlining that his side must protect the momentum they’ve built and stay mentally grounded. In his comments, the Betis coach pointed to their solid league tally of 15 points from 18 available, saying the goal is to extend that level over time while remaining realistic about the workload of a season played on multiple fronts.

No looking up

Pellegrini discussed what it takes to maintain consistency. He acknowledged that “slumps happen in every competition” and argued that supporters aren’t looking for perfect regularity—when they see the team performing well, they expect it to keep winning. He also framed his wish as turning the early surge into a better end to the campaign, repeating that “you have to defend what we’ve achieved and not look up.”

Defensive focus

On the opponent, Pellegrini expects a tough match, particularly away from home. He believes Depor are “more creative than destructive” and stressed that Betis must stay alert when the hosts have the ball, pairing that with high-intensity recovery. He also flagged Aubameyang as a key attacking threat, saying Betis must be ready defensively before trying to hurt them with the ball.

He also assessed individual form. About Antony, Pellegrini said he is putting together very complete performances and contributing a lot in attack, especially in 1-v-1 situations and arriving in the right spaces, even if he’s not 100% sharp in his finishing due to a pubalgia. For Abde, he noted that last season’s improvements in finishing were real and that the player is still capable of giving more.

Availability

For the upcoming game, Pellegrini confirmed that Aitor Ruibal and Diego Llorente are unavailable, while the rest of the squad is ready. “Starting the season like it’s a final is very positive,” he added, with Betis aiming to keep their run going at Riazor.