Youssouf Sabaly has a special challenge in this first season at Betis: replacing an Emerson who became a key asset in Manuel Pellegrini's first project at the helm of the Verdiblanco team. And for now, accept the challenge. He played the first friendlies of the team leaving good feelings and his level went from less to more until he found a path of consistency in the last meeting against Leeds. His role in the coach's scheme is key: he must give depth to that right wing and have a very important offensive weight in the creation of the game.
Sabaly's performance against Leeds invites hope. Beyond the need to improve defensively and adapt well to the team's dynamics in the retreat, the player outlined virtues that convince his coach. He handled the ball well in the association, made constant diagonals towards the inside and also threw off-markings to give depth to his right-handed lane. The shadow of Emerson is present in Heliópolis, but for the moment Sabaly responds to the expectations in this bet at zero cost of the club to replace the Brazilian.
LaLiga Santander
* Data updated as of July 31, 2021
The competition on that right wing must also take weight in Pellegrini's team. The figure of Martín Montoya, who at the moment does not have a leading role in the preseason and who barely had minutes during the past season, must take a qualitative leap if he does not finally appear in this market. The youth squad Fran Delgado, meanwhile, also wants to convince the coach with other arguments that may be relevant when it comes to having opportunities in the first team. The right-handed band belongs to Sabaly at the moment. And he has already presented his arguments so that that reality does not change.