Real Betis entered this encounter in scintillating form, claiming 10 points in their previous four league games and a 4-0 win in the Copa Del Rey.
Atlético Madrid was another story. They entered the day with 5 points from the previous four league games while winning and losing a pair of UEFA Champions League games.
For Betis, a win would get them three points closer to one of those highly coveted continental qualification spots, whereas a win would keep Atlético in the title hunt. Despite 67% possession, Real Betis was unable to crack Atlético and fell 2-1 in their La Liga bout.
In this tactical analysis, we’ll look at the contrasting tactics of the two sides. For Atlético Madrid, staunch defence and direct play ruled the day, as they capitalized on Real Betis’ mistakes. Analysis of Betis will show that, while they had some success on set pieces, they simply weren’t able to break Atlético’s lines and create high-quality scoring opportunities.
Lineup
Rubi lined up his Real Betis side in a 1-4-1-4-1. Joel Robles started in goal with the explosive Emerson at right-back, Álex Moreno on the left and the pairing of Aissa Mandi and Zouhair Feddal at centre-back. In the midfield, Marc Bartra played the pivot with Andrés Guardado and Sergio Canales playing ahead of him. Joaquín and Nabil Fekir got the starts out wide, operating more like forwards in a narrow 1-4-3-3, while Loren Morón took his usual place up top.
Diego Simeone countered with his standard 1-4-4-2. Jan Oblak took his place between the pipes. His backline consisted of Kieran Trippier, Renan Lodi, Felipe and José Giménez. In the midfield, Héctor Herrera, Thomas Partey, Saúl Ñíguez and Thomas Lemar started from right to left. Up top, João Félix paired with Álvaro Morata.
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