Betis hosts Real Madrid still stinging from 5-2 collapse against Levante

Five goals conceded against Levante still sting in Heliopolis, and it's with that wound still fresh that Betis must now host Real Madrid. There's little time to dwell on it: just days after that 5-2 defeat, Manuel Pellegrini has to pull his team out of its discomfort and throw it straight into one of those matches that, as he himself admits, always carry extra weight.

The Chilean coach made that clear on Thursday at his press conference: he expects "a very difficult match," as is usually the case against the big three, and stressed that Real Madrid "have strengthened a lot" this summer. Nothing new there, some might say, but it's worth keeping the context in mind: Betis arrives at this fourth matchday of LaLiga with morale bruised after an uneven opening week of competition.

Pellegrini was candid about the stumble against Levante, a side that hadn't scored a single goal in the league before that game. "We hadn't conceded in two matchdays, we were playing pretty well, and Levante hadn't scored, but we let in five. In soccer, you get 24 hours to enjoy a win or get over a bitter defeat, because right away another game comes along and the last one doesn't count for anything," said the Santiago-born coach, who insists his team "is finding its rhythm again" and that these ups and downs are "something that happens early in the season."

Key absences and a debutant who will have to wait

Rounding out the picture, Pellegrini confirmed two significant absences. Giovani Lo Celso is "nearly ready but won't make tomorrow's match," while Ez Abde will also be unavailable, in his case due to the flu. The good news, according to the coach himself, is that both "should be fit for next week," just in time for Betis' Champions League debut.

Also left out of the squad, though for tactical reasons, is attacking midfielder Iker Losada, who turned down a loan move this summer despite the tough competition he faces for a spot. Pellegrini chose not to dwell on any controversy there: "He knows it's going to be tough because he's got Isco, Lo Celso, Dani Ceballos and Fornals ahead of him, but since he's decided to stay, he'll train exactly like his teammates."

Speaking of Ceballos: the Madrid native, a recent arrival for the green and whites, won't be available tomorrow either. He only joined the club yesterday and needs time to settle in, though his new coach was already singing his praises publicly. "He's shown quality throughout his career, there's no question he's a good addition," Pellegrini said, highlighting his versatility: "He's a flexible player with the quality to play in several positions."

On the lack of options in midfield, the Chilean was equally blunt. With the squad now finalized, he admitted that "we're missing a player in the defensive midfield role" and that won't change "in three or four days." It's an opinion not shared by sporting director Manu Fajardo, though Pellegrini preferred not to dig into that public disagreement: "Everyone has a right to their own opinion."

With absences piling up, doubts in midfield, and a strengthened rival on the horizon, Betis is playing for more than three points this Friday: it's a chance to prove that the Levante result was nothing more than a bad day.