Pellegrini wants Betis to take the Copa seriously from the first round

“They are matches against ourselves”: Manuel Pellegrini summed up the challenge facing Real Betis in the Copa del Rey. He wants his team to give the competition the importance it deserves from the first round, as the Verdiblancos travel to Segunda Federación side Navalcarnero on Thursday at 19:00.

Pellegrini sees the Copa del Rey as the shortest route to Europe. The final will be played at La Cartuja. First, his players must negotiate this opening hurdle, before the Czech Republic-Spain match. “They are matches against ourselves; hopefully we get off on the right foot,” he said, according to the Spanish press, recalling that lower-division clubs have eliminated Primera opponents. He also stressed the immediate target: “We have to start this match seriously from the first minute, because the first objective is to qualify.”

Betis will face the tie with nine internationals absent. Pellegrini explained that when the decision was made to play during the international break, the number of players called up by their national teams was not yet known. Finding another date would have meant moving matches in a schedule shaped by the Champions League. “Whoever gets to play has to show why they are in the Betis squad,” he warned.

In goal, Diego Conde has returned to normal training after a long injury. Pellegrini will decide whether to call up one or two academy goalkeepers to complete the squad.

Asked about the 26 points accumulated after 12 rounds and the statistic that no team with that total has finished outside the top four, the coach urged his side to focus ahead: “Statistics reflect something, but the most important thing is not to focus on the current statistics, but on what lies ahead.” He wants his team to sustain its level with almost a third of the league campaign completed. “Our ambition must be to go as high as possible, and we have to show that on the pitch, not just say it.”

Pellegrini also highlighted Betis’s consistency in the league while competing in the Champions League, as the Copa joins the calendar. “In the end, the league is what will define the year,” he said, adding that big clubs have to maintain consistency in both competitions.