A thread on Quique Setién's exciting Real Betis side and their sumptuous attacking play.

First, let's break down how Quique Setién's Betis team build-up play under pressure. When starting with a goal kick, the two centre-backs always tend to create a three-men-chain with the goalkeeper Adán. Therefore, the centre-backs can create some space in depth.

So that they can avoid being vulnerable to the opposing attackers. Under Setién, the fullbacks were tasked with providing constant width. Javi García, and usually one of the centre-midfielders are always ready to drop back, acting as a free man.

One pattern which Adán often uses to start the first progression is a diagonal ball towards the full-backs. With this, Betis is able to bypass the opponent’s press sideward.

However, due to the quality of playing staff, Betis have often tried to progress by a much more simple way: long balls. Forward players seem to be prepared to aerial duels and they use a proper control of lofted balls which allows them to overcome the opponent in an easier way.

Although they showed a number of the well-organized passing sequence under pressure, they were often forced to knock forward as well. The coordination of their movements required some form of improvement.

Now let's move onto their central issues under Setién. When circulating against a midfield or deep block, Javi García tends to drop between the two centre-back, helping the ball circulation with his technical abilities. This based around the concept of 'salida lavolpiana'.

This is something I'm still understanding so I won't go into in this thread yet. This concept is frequently used in underdog teams as the number six is generally the technically most gifted player which can help the team to come out from tight situations and dictating the play.

With this movement, Betis created a 3-2-5/3-1-6 shape during progression which is theoretically ideal to manipulate the opponent’s second line. Although central midfielders seemed to show some triggers to manipulate the opponent’s second line, central progression was an issue.

These problems definitely restricted their abilities to progress between the lines. For example, they were facing two defensive rows remaining behind the ball’s line.

These problems in Betis’ central attacks definitely posed them a problem concerning attacking variability. With a serious vulnerability in central areas Betis were forced to attack heavily in the weeks to avoid sterile passing sequences. Which was understandable due..

To the playing staff, Betis had at their disposal. So, due to individual qualities, they have often failed to have technical skills which would be needed in reduced, well-covered spaces.

I will now focus on Betis's attacking strategy in the final third under Setién. Although Betis used some direct balls behind the opponent’s defensive line, they generally tend to progress with a slower, patient speed.

In this way, players have enough time to create a proper structure, which facilitates progression and it will be easier to counter-press if they ever would lose the ball.

In possession, they tended to create strong structures calmly, and they were never afraid to circulate in front of the final third even against a deeper block.

Using well-timed dynamic runs and combinations, they are often able to create favourable situations to shoot on goal. They used flat and high crosses too, but the former has definitely proved more efficient.

With flat cutbacks between the lines, Betis were able to create a higher amount of favourable chances to shoot. So in effect Betis's final third efficiency made them similar led comparisons to be a midtable Napoli or Manchester City.

Though lots of people are quick to assume that possession-based football= JdP and Real Betis were playing a dedicated JdP although that wasn't completely the case. However, they did show some elements of this philosophy, so their offensive model is quite similar.

With having a fairly clear structural framework with overloads and rotating, using pre-scripted combinations and showing some signs to invite the opponent’s press, their attacking game is not so far from being a respective JdP.

In conclusion: Quique Setién ultimately brought entertaining football to Seville whilst exporting talents such as Lo Celso and Dani Ceballos and achieving qualification for Europe in 2017-18. Can he implement his chess-influenced ideology at Barça? We'll find out.

End of thread.
Likes and RTs appreciated.
Wouldn't mind a follow either