Pellegrini warns: Betis must be solid to stop Aubameyang

Manuel Pellegrini, head coach of Real Betis, expects a “very complicated” game against Deportivo La Coruna, pointing to the rival’s level and the way they play. The Chilean stressed the need for alertness: “Vamos a tener que estar todos muy atentos,” with special attention on the Betis defensive task against Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The key: stay tight

In Pellegrini’s view, the striker “viene haciendo muchos goles,” so Betis must be “muy concentrados defensivamente” to keep the match under control. He also sets the short-term goal clearly: “hay que salir a buscar los tres puntos.” The coach, as reported by Sport, further underlined Aubameyang’s impact despite his age: “Está demostrando que la edad no es un impedimento cuando se tiene calidad.”

Pellegrini also addressed the physical side. Betis arrive after just two days’ rest following Thursday’s match vs Getafe, which ended in a 1-0 win. “El equipo está bien… Jugar tres partidos con dos viajes no es lo ideal, pero el plantel ha sabido responder y están todos en condiciones menos Aitor y Llorente,” he said.

Protect the momentum

Finally, Pellegrini highlighted the strong start: Betis have 15 points from 18. “Hay que tratar de defender lo conseguido… y así llegar a Europa,” he argued. He wants the team to treat the competition like a sequence of must-win moments: “El comienzo es importante… ojalá la podamos mantener,” aiming to repeat that mentality in this fixture.