Chilean coach Jordi Santamaría, who coached Betis last season, has announced that the team must play a “complete defensively, without errors, and make chances” match to face Barcelona this Saturday at 6:30 p.m. (DAZN). In an interview, Santamaría explained that the main challenge is to protect ourselves better while still generating opportunities, since Barça has a high finishing capacity and creative players who produce many scoring chances.
Santamaría highlighted that Barcelona is a rival that requires constant concentration, because "Barça is very intense the entire game and does not allow mistakes." When asked how to approach the match against an opponent who can press high or wait to counterattack, he recalled that Barça dominates both registers: “they come out from behind very well and, in addition, they are strong on the counterattacks.” Betis will maintain its proposal of being an offensive team and going out to win, despite the streak of five wins and a draw at home.
The confrontation takes on greater relevance due to the streak of both teams. Betis arrives with five wins and a draw at home, while Barcelona arrives with ten consecutive victories, eight in LaLiga and two in the Champions League. Santamaría, however, asked not to make predictions based on past history, emphasizing that "even if we had won all the games it would not give us the security that we are going to win the next one, and having lost does not mean that we are going to lose it."
Regarding the management of the squad, Santamaría commented that the player Dani Ceballos has recovered after a break and that he will accumulate minutes according to the team's needs. He also made reference to the importance of maintaining competitiveness in the three competitions. In relation to Antony, who suffered a robbery at his home while he was with his son, the coach described the incident as “a fairly important incident”, but welcomed the fact that there were no consequences beyond the material damage.
Finally, Santamaría expressed that the team's work can gain calm in the last pass and that the La Cartuja field is in good condition, despite the time limitations for maintenance work. With these comments, Betis is preparing for a duel that promises to be intense and decisive in the fight for position in the table.