The 0-0 draw by Betis against Real Madrid left a bittersweet taste in Heliópolis. The green-and-white wardrobe regretted the lost opportunity to return to the path of triumph but also found certain threads of hope in the fight he has with Villarreal and Real Sociedad to sneak into Europa League positions. The defensive improvement of Pellegrini's team is a reality and his coach is the main architect of this achievement after being the team with the most goals during much of the first round. From the start of 2021 everything changed: the team has already added twelve clean sheets so far this year, achieving two of them in the last two bets.
The figure of Claudio Bravo is also a decisive factor in this recovered reliability. The Chilean goalkeeper became a wall in the last four games, saving against Atlético, Valencia, Athletic and Real Madrid in the final minutes. There is satisfaction with the Chilean, who is earning a possible place in next season's plans while Joel awaits another opportunity. Pellegrini does not hesitate to praise his goalkeeper and makes it clear that the leadership factor is one of his main weapons both on and off the pitch.
LaLiga Santander
* Data updated as of April 25, 2021
But many focuses are also directed to the qualitative growth of defense. Emerson was a guarantee against Madrid on his right side and Miranda managed to raise the defensive level on the left. In the center of the rear, Mandi and Víctor Ruiz left one of their best versions it's from the season. This is perhaps the most important merit of Manuel Pellegrini, who managed to correct to some extent the main deficiency of a team that never controlled this circumstance in the past. Without a doubt, it will be one of the pillars that can boost your candidacy for Europe.