Quique Setién

Real Betis and their then-manager Quique Setién hosted divisional rivals Espanyol and Quique Sánchez Flores at the Benito Villamarin in March 2018, when victory was required to maintain their ambition of qualifying for the following season's Europa League. The victory, draw and defeat that had come in their previous three fixtures also meant that they needed a sense of momentum as the 2017/18 season entered its defining period.

If they already had a reputation as a free-scoring team – albeit one that remained vulnerable in defence – they instead produced a composed and disciplined performance to ease to a one-sided victory. They also did so having resisted the potential distraction of the floodlights twice cutting out, and the sprinklers turning on, mid-match.

The three points Betis secured perhaps proved the catalyst for them eventually securing that qualification, via a sixth-placed finish; four successive wins were to follow. Speaking exclusively to The Coaches’ Voice, Setién, who has since gone on to manage Barcelona, revisits the approach that inspired one of their finest performances during his time in Seville.

Starting line-ups

Real BetisEspanyol

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Real Betis3-5-2

Espanyol4-4-2

13Antonio Adán

1Pau López

23Aïssa Mandi

2Marc Navarro

15Marc Bartra

15David López

5Jordi Amat

6Óscar Duarte

27Francis Guerrero

3Aarón Caricol

6Fabián Ruiz

23Esteban Granero

3Javi García

8Carlos Sánchez

18Andrés Guardado

4Víctor Sánchez

28Junior Firpo

19Pablo Piatti

10Ryad Boudebouz

11Léo Baptistão

16Loren Morón

7Gerard Moreno

Author: Tony Hodson