Real Betis host Atletico Madrid in a battle of styles

Sunday’s clash at the Benito Villamarin pits Quique Setien against Diego Simeone in a battle of contrasting styles.

Real Betis have been one of the most exciting La Liga sides to watch since Quique Setien took over in 2017. The expansive, high-risk style of play he’s implemented couldn’t be more of a departure to that of his opponent this Sunday. Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid are known for their risk-free approach, prioritizing defensive solidity above all else. Atleti find pleasure in keeping a clean sheet, while Betis are all about the aesthetic qualities of positional play. That contrast should make for a fascinating game.

The best defensive record in the league is held by Atletico, as usual, with only 13 goals conceded in 21 games. Sevilla are the only side to score against them in the last five matches. They started the season slowly, a common theme under Simeone, but he has restored them to their usual best with their last loss coming against Borussia Dortmund, in the Champions League, all the way back in October. This has been accomplished despite injuries to a number of key players during that time.

Betis, in contrast, are a hugely inconsistent team, capable of brilliant moments, such as the 4-3 win over Barcelona at the Camp Nou, and embarrassing ones, like a 2-1 lost to bottom side Huesca in a match they finished with only a single shot on target. Their goal difference of minus-1 is testament to the problems they’re facing.

The biggest of those has been the lack of a prolific goalscorer to finish the chances they create. Attacking midfielder Sergio Canales is their top scorer in the league with five goals, while midfielder Giovani Lo Celso has scored most in all competitions with eight. Antonio Sanabria has been loaned out to Genoa, so that leaves the goalscoring responsibility on Loren Moron and Sergio Leon.

Jese and Diego Lainez have both joined the club in the January transfer window as reinforcements for the attacking department, and Setien will be hoping they can help solve their issues in the final third. Lainez has looked promising so far with an impressive performance in their recent match against Athletic Bilbao.

Setien has only got the better of Simeone once in 10 matches, and that was a Copa del Rey tie which Atletico ultimately won on aggregate. The three matches between Betis and Atleti since he took over have only seen a total of two goals, so this is unlikely to be high-scoring. However, one thing is for certain: Setien won’t sacrifice his ideas just for this match, and the contrast in philosophies is what makes this contest so intriguing.

Atletico’s recent win over Getafe saw them lose Diego Godin to a seemingly ever-growing injury list. Koke, Diego Costa, Filipe Luis and Stefan Savic are all out so they are significantly weakened coming into this match which could present Betis with an opportunity. They have signed Alvaro Morata, though, and Simeone will be hoping his motivational skills can bring the best out of a player who appears to have lost his confidence in front of goal.

Betis are likely to set up in a 3-5-2 formation with Lainez alongside Loren on the forward line, Canales and Lo Celso just behind them in the attacking midfield role and William Carvalho anchoring the midfield. Junior Firpo is a big miss in the left wing-back role due to how effectively he is able to balance out his attacking and defensive responsibilities. Setien has struggled to find a solution in his absence and Atleti will probably target that area.

Atletico will use their usual 4-4-2 setup which has been the norm since Simeone took over. Some reshuffling will be needed now that Godin is out so youngster Francisco Montero could come in for him. Antonie Griezmann is on a hot streak with seven goals in his last seven league matches and nine in his last 10 games in all competitions. He’s the player to watch out for in front of goal as well as being the central linchpin for their attacking play.