Giovani Lo Celso Scouting Report At Real Betis 2024/2025 – Player Analysis

After finally being freed from what could be best described as a ‘frustrating’ spell with Tottenham, summer mover Giovani Lo Celso has already boosted the quality of Real Betis’ attack with immediate effect.

The permanent move to Los Verdiblancos marks Lo Celsos return to a club where he enjoyed one of his most productive attacking seasons, having been involved in 22 goals while on loan from PSG in the 2018/19 season.

Even the most passionate Lo Celso supporters might not have envisioned such a dramatic impact so soon, with the Argentine already matching some of the most efficient scorers in LaLiga.

While the season is still in its infancy, the transfer has begun to make a lot of sense from the perspective of Betis boss Manuel Pellegrini.

Having seen Nabil Fekir depart this summer and Isco still unavailable after a long-term injury, Pellegrini’s side were crying out for a dynamic playmaker who could shoulder the creative load.

But importantly for Betis, Lo Celso has been far from a stop-gap replacement, displaying all the signs of an astute acquisition who can propel the club towards another season of European qualification.

This tactical analysis and scout report will begin to highlight some of the reasons why Lo Celso has hit the ground running in Betis’ system.

Our analysis will discuss not only how his arrival has impacted Betis’ attacking efforts but also their tactics without the ball, provoking an important discussion on how he and Isco can co-exist within the starting lineup.

Real Betis’ Season So Far

When beginning to discuss Pellegrini’s Betis, it is essential to highlight some of the key features of the squad, as it allows us to understand some of the reasons why Lo Celso was chosen to slot straight in.

So far this season, Betis have once again emerged as one of the more offensive-minded teams in LaLiga, bettered only by Real Madrid and Barcelona when calculating their touches in the opposition’s box per 90 (20.82).

From positions like these, we see Pellegrini’s team display their confidence in front of goal, failing to shy away from shooting opportunities.

Thus far, they have taken 11.91 per 90 (fourth in LaLiga).

Perhaps the most damning stat for Betis would be the fact that their confidence hasn’t necessarily translated into overall efficiency after nine matches, having only scored eight total goals from an expected goals figure of 15.02 xG.

Whilst their expected goals statistic can begin to paint a negative picture revolving around wastefulness and missed opportunities, it does also portray the ease at which Betis have been able to craft important goalscoring opportunities.

Giovani Lo Celso’s Role At Betis

These goalscoring opportunities have certainly been boosted by the arrival of Giovani Lo Celso, who has already displayed his technical prowess in the Real Betis midfield.

When we covered Lo Celso’s Betis teammate, Isco Alarcón, last season, we felt that it was important to mention that Pellegrini’s number tens were not fixed to the central channel.

The fluidity of their offensive positioning has meant that Lo Celso’s talents can be showcased across the entirety of the final third.

His heat map shows him popping up within either half-space or even from wider areas to exploit his impressive crossing abilities.

Pellegrini has also noted that Lo Celso shares one of Isco’s most desirable traits as a creative outlet- the desire to drop deeper to collect the ball, almost demanding possession at times.