Real Betis: Three players to watch out for

Wednesday 08 March 2023 11:06

Ahead of our upcoming two-legged Europa League tie against Real Betis, our official matchday programme has put our upcoming Andalusian opponents under the spotlight.

United Review has taken a closer look at the personnel behind the side that currently fifth in La Liga.

While you can read the full feature in Thursday’s first-leg edition, this is a glimpse into the visitors’ squad, with the lowdown on three players to watch out for.

The trio have all been named in Manuel Pellegrini’s 23-man group for the game at Old Trafford and are certainly expected to have a role to play in the first competitive meetings between United and Betis over the fortnight.

German Pezzella knows United's Lisandro Martinez well as a fellow Argentina international defender.
WORLD CUP WINNER
German Pezzella – Defender 

A centre-back mainstay since joining from Fiorentina in 2021, Pezzella continues to be a dominant aerial presence at the heart of the defence. The 31-year-old is a superb reader of the game, whose combination of aggressive front-foot pressure and smooth technique with his feet is highly prized in the green half of Seville. He was regularly used off the bench at the World Cup to see out Argentina victories, including that final four minutes of the final against France as the game went to penalties.
PLAYMAKING LEADER
Sergio Canales – Midfielder

Now in his fifth season at the Estadio Benito Villamarin, Canales is Betis’s de-facto skipper, with 41-year-old club captain Joaquin’s game time limited. Blessed with flawless technique, the 32-year-old former Real Madrid man has two Europa League goals this term – and a further four, plus two assists in La Liga – and now shoulders the creative burden following bustling spark Nabil Fekir’s recent season-ending knee injury.
Sergio Canales has missed Betis' last two matches through injury but is in the squad for Thursday's game.
INTELLIGENT FRONT MAN
Borja Iglesias – Forward

The 30-year-old centre-forward has backed up a 19-goal 2021/22 with an even better strike-rate this term. The former Espanyol hitman, who brings attacking midfielders into the game through intelligent hold-up play, has struck 10 times his 22 La Liga outings this season and should come into the Europa League reckoning after earlier rotation from boss Manuel Pellegrini to give Willian Jose minutes.
Iglesias ranks fourth on La Liga's top scorers chart this season, but is still awaiting his first Europa League start of 2022/23.

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