Good night and welcome to protection of the second leg of the Actual Betis vs Manchester United tie from Seville. For the second night time in succession in Spain we now have a match the place one staff begins three targets down however against this with final night time, this time it is the house aspect who’re striving in hope somewhat than expectation to come back again from a heavy first-leg defeat. Betis are at present fifth in La Liga, ideally positioned for a Europa League spot subsequent season and solely three factors behind Actual Sociedad within the final Champions League place.
Whereas 4-1 flattered United after Betis first-half efficiency, their head coach, Manuel Pellegrini, the urbane, Ronsealed former Manchester Metropolis, Actual Madrid and West Ham supervisor, and sufferer of one in every of Alan Pardew’s most graceless verbal assaults, believes there isn’t a shame in being outgunned by a vastly richer membership.
Nonetheless he says his aspect will begin at full tilt in a bid to combat their manner again into it: “We should strive from the primary minute, first to win the sport, after that to attempt to rating the targets that we have to qualify. And if not, to play recreation and win right here at dwelling. So, believing in my staff, believing in our followers and we strive, all collectively, to show the rating.
“It’s important to strive from the primary minute,” Pellegrini stated. “If you happen to do not find yourself attaining what you need, that’s not a failure. We’re up towards a Champions League-standard staff with a finances six, seven or eight instances the dimensions of ours.
“If we do not qualify, the onus is on us to indicate that was as a result of we had been up towards a greater staff, not as a result of we performed badly at dwelling.”
Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes would miss the primary leg of a quarter-final tie if they’re booked at Benito Villamarin however Erik ten Hag says he has no qualms about selecting each, particularly Casemiro who has a four-match home suspension about to begin on Sunday. Antony and Alejandro Garnacho be a part of long-term absentees Anthony Martial, Donny van de Beek and Christian Eriksen on the sidelines.
Betis welcome William Carvalho again however have misplaced Luiz Felipe from the primary leg. The Italy centre-half has a hamstring harm and sits this one out alongside poor Nabil Fekir, who suffered his second cruciate ligament rupture in eight years in the beginning of March and won’t be again till September on the earliest.
