Real Betis: The unsung heroes of La Liga

At the Bernabeu on Saturday night, Real Madrid signed off from domestic duty for their Champions League semi-final with Borussia Dortmund by recording a fairly comfortable victory over Real Betis. Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t add to his mammoth 47 goal tally for the season, but Madrid possessed enough quality, most noticeably in Mesut Ozil and Karim Benzema, to see Betis off.The result was not surprising as Real went three points clear in the second spot in La Liga, but Betis had full reason to be disappointed with their defeat. Manager Pepe Mel argued that a draw would have been a fairer result, and had striker Dorlan Pabon converted a rebound off the crossbar late in the game, they probably would have got one. Madrid averted that danger and immediately added the decisive third.

That Betis could be dissatisfied with exiting the Bernabeu with nothing is indicative of how far they have come under 50-year-old Mel, who took over the club after their relegation in the summer of 2010. The former striker, who played 112 times for Betis in the early ’90s, led the Verdiblancos back to La Liga in his first season and after last season’s consolidation, they are now sitting in seventh; and with Malaga’s financial uncertainty incurring the wrath of UEFA, they are even eyeing a place in next year’s Europa League.

It has been an unexpected story with a squad assembled from minimal resources. Nosa Igiebor, a 21-year-old Nigerian striker, was their biggest signing of the summer at £1.2 million. He has endured an awful campaign, having to wait until last week’s derby against Sevilla to score his first goal for Betis, but the scoring mantle has been assumed by the two 31-year-olds; Ruben Castro, finally settled in Andalusia after a nomadic career spanning eight different clubs, and Jorge Molina, who had never played higher than the second division prior to his 1.6 million euro move to Andalusia in 2010. Between them, they have netted 26 league goals.

Mel has taken advantage of a highly versatile front line to alternate between a 4-2-3-1 and a 4-3-3, with Castro and Joel Campbell, the 20-year-old Cuban who is on loan from Arsenal, able to either lead the line or drop back into a deeper attacking role.

Campbell’s scarce goal return of 2 should not deviate away from his overall team contribution; his impressive work rate, movement and body strength has been keeping opposition defenders busy, and in turn creates space for his teammates.

Molina and the also on-loan Pabon, with his five goal haul, have both filled in at centre-forward whilst in support, Salva Sevilla, able to play deeper in midfield or as an attacking playmaker, and left winger Juan Carlos have both been vital to Mel’s strategy of rotating the team and system. Only four players in the entire squad have started more than twenty games this season and it is testament to the character the coach has installed in his side that a cheaply-assembled squad can have such strength in depth.

Holding midfielder Benat Exteberria has seven assists to his name whilst Ruben Castro, along with his 16 goals, has five. It is a squad that has productivity running through its attack, contributing to a total 264 chances created and a respectable 48 goal tally.

With just 48% possession, Mel likes his Betis side to invite pressure and then to spring counter-attacks with the pace and fluidity that he has at his disposal in attack.

The sitting midfield duo of Benat, who has been the hub of Betis’ creative force with a huge total of 1420 passes this season, and Jose Canas, the combative midfielder who is reportedly on his way to Swansea when his contract runs out in the summer, are instructed to play direct balls up to the attacking quartet who inter-change smoothly and cohesively.

Benat Etxebarria has been hugely influential this season

Such prowess in playing on the counter has suited them away from home, where they have recorded seven wins – the joint best total in La Liga, not including Barcelona and Real Madrid.

However, the philosophy of allowing the opposition possession before striking at them has often appeared naive, with their defence conceding 49 goals in total. Only 6 La Liga sides have conceded more goals this season.

Antonio Amaya and Mario Alvarez have provided a consistent base at centre-half, but even the back four have not managed to escape Mel’s devotion to rotation. Portuguese Nelson has been the regular starter at right-back, but it was Javi Chica who impressed against Madrid, whilst Nacho and Alex Martinez have shared the left-back spot.

Inconsistent form and squad unrest could have been the result of such constant rotation, but Mel has managed to keep a rein on it and Betis are looking at the upper reaches of the Spanish Primera Liga for the first time since they challenged the top four spots back in 2005.

Despite the near-€30 million financial deficit in a league riddled with crippling debts, European football is likely to be on the agenda again at the Villamarin next season. Maybe Pepe Mel and his band of unsung, bargain-basement heroes will then start to get some credit from the rest of Europe.

It has been a great underdog story in a league that suffers financial disparity like no other.