Juanmi, soul of nine

Juanmi lived a golden chapter of his sports career last Sunday when he scored a hat-trick against Levante that confirmed his importance of relevance in this Betis project and exposed his candidacy to be one of the forwards of LaLiga. The Malaga player has eight goals in the championship. Neither Raúl De Tomas, nor Joselu, nor Iago Aspas. He is the top national scorer and the Benito Villamarín stands did not hesitate to send a direct message to Luis Enrique under chants of “Juanmi, selection”. His stellar appearance comes in his third season at Betis. He spent one and a half living an ordeal that only he uses as an incentive to attack all the challenges he has on the table. From the hand of Pellegrini, he proved to be an important piece in this Betis and his numbers are his best ally. With the injuries forgotten, Juanmi wants more. And Betis too.

Juanmi’s eight goals convince Pellegrini of his plan to get the most out of his player. He knows him perfectly after having had him under his command in that Malaga that he excited almost to heaven. Juanmi occupies a place on the left flank of the line of three that Pellegrini places behind his point. And there the Malaga has all the freedom in the world. He tends to the center to free the entire lane to his side and lives in the area without the rival behind having him controlled. Soul of nine. Protagonist in every party in the area without being invited. He is an unbeatable ally for Willian José, with whom he has a wonderful understanding after another past together. Also for Fekir, who gave the brooch to his hat-trick with a magical pass invented by the French. He is not an indisputable starter because that role does not exist for Pellegrini, but his weight in the Verdiblanco team is multiplied today.

The arrival of a more demanding calendar puts Betis’s offensive weapons to the test and also Juanmi’s punching ability. At the gates of being measured against Barcelona and Real Sociedad, the attacker knows that he is going through his best moment and tries to somehow avoid that almost forced rotation that his coach executes. He points to the best figures of his career if the physicist accompanies him after suffering a year and a half of absences that slowed his momentum in Heliópolis. But Juanmi has returned. And he has done it with his best version. His eight goals in the league should be his best passport towards a future with more challenges.