Athletic Club’s 2-1 win over Real Betis at San Mamés was a clear clash of styles: Valverde’s vertically aggressive 4-2-3-1 against Pellegrini’s more patient, possession-heavy 4-4-2. Despite having only 39% of the ball and fewer passes (358 vs 568), Athletic imposed the more incisive structure, turning direct wide attacks and set-piece threat into a decisive first-half lead that Betis’ territorial control could not overturn.
From the outset, Athletic’s 4-2-3-1 was built around a compact, mid-block platform and rapid transitions. The back four of I. Lekue, D. Vivian, A. Laporte and Y. Berchiche held a relatively conservative line, allowing the double pivot of A. Rego and I. Ruiz de Galarreta to screen central spaces rather than press high. This gave Betis time on the ball, but crucially denied them access between the lines. With only 10 fouls committed, Athletic defended more through structure than aggression, funnelling Betis into less dangerous outside channels.
In possession, the key was the verticality of the three behind the striker. I. Williams (shirt 9) and A. Berenguer stretched the pitch horizontally, while O. Sancet operated in the right half-space as a roaming 10. Their coordination underpinned both first-half goals. For the opener at 25', D. Vivian advanced aggressively on a set piece situation, and his finish – assisted by I. Williams – reflected Athletic’s willingness to commit centre-backs into attacking zones when the ball was in the final third. The second goal, scored by O. Sancet at 45' and again assisted by I. Williams, came from the same structural idea: win the ball, release Williams early into space, and attack Betis’ retreating back line before their 4-4-2 block could settle.
Betis, in contrast, leaned heavily on possession and circulation. Their 61% of the ball and higher pass accuracy (86% vs 80%) show a team intent on building through M. Roca and S. Amrabat from the double pivot, with Antony and A. Ezzalzouli providing width. However, the front pairing of A. Ruibal and Cucho Hernandez struggled to find separation against Athletic’s centre-backs. With only 4 shots inside the box from 11 attempts and an xG of 0.47, Betis’ 4-4-2 produced more volume than quality. Much of their shooting came from outside (7 shots), a direct consequence of Athletic’s compact central block and the screening work of Rego and Ruiz de Galarreta.
Defensive resilience was high on both sides: Athletic Club saw 2 of their shots blocked, while Real Betis had 2 attempts stifled by the opposition. Yet the contexts were different. Athletic’s 11 shots included 8 from inside the box and a total xG of 1.26, indicating that their attacks were more carefully engineered to reach high-value zones. Betis’ back four – A. Ortiz, D. Llorente, Natan and V. Gomez – were often forced into last-ditch defending against direct runs from Williams and Berenguer, with P. Lopez needing 4 saves to keep the scoreline close. On the other side, U. Simon faced only 3 shots on target and made 2 saves; he was largely protected by the structure in front of him, and the team’s goals prevented figure of 0 reflects that Betis rarely created chances beyond what the model expected.
Pellegrini’s triple half-time substitution at 46' was a clear tactical reset. At 2-0 down, he introduced H. Bellerin (IN) for A. Ortiz (OUT), P. Fornals (IN) for Antony (OUT), and S. Altimira (IN) for M. Roca (OUT). Functionally, Betis shifted towards a more aggressive right flank, with Bellerin providing overlapping width and Fornals drifting inside to act as an additional playmaker between the lines. Altimira’s energy in midfield aimed to increase Betis’ counter-pressing and second-ball recovery.
Valverde’s response came on 62', reinforcing control zones rather than chasing a third goal. At 62', M. Vesga (IN) came on for I. Ruiz de Galarreta (OUT), adding physicality and aerial presence in the pivot. Simultaneously, M. Jauregizar (IN) replaced G. Guruzeta (OUT), which subtly rebalanced the side by giving Athletic fresher legs to press from the front and help in midfield connections. Ten minutes later, at 72', U. Gomez (IN) came on for O. Sancet (OUT), further solidifying central control and allowing Athletic to defend with a slightly deeper 4-5-1 shape out of possession.
Betis’ attacking improvement was visible in the 75' goal by P. Fornals, whose late runs and positional freedom between the lines finally broke Athletic’s compactness. His strike narrowed the deficit to 2-1 and validated Pellegrini’s changes. Moments later, a potential equaliser from Cédric Bakambu was ruled out after VAR intervention at 77', a pivotal moment that underlined how narrow the tactical margins had become once Betis committed more bodies forward.
In the closing stages, Valverde’s substitutions at 86' – R. Navarro (IN) for A. Rego (OUT) and N. Serrano (IN) for A. Berenguer (OUT) – were aimed at injecting fresh legs on the flanks and in midfield to sustain transitions and press Betis’ build-up. Athletic effectively managed the final minutes, even after U. Simón received a yellow card for argument at 76', maintaining their compact block and denying Betis clear central entries. Natan’s late yellow card for a foul at 90' reflected Betis’ increasing urgency as they chased an equaliser.
Statistically, the match encapsulated a classic pattern: the team with less possession but sharper vertical mechanisms created better chances and converted them. Athletic’s 2 goals from 1.26 xG contrasted with Betis’ single goal from 0.47 xG, and with both teams posting 0 in goals prevented, the outcome aligned closely with chance quality. Betis’ superior passing volume and accuracy did not translate into box presence, while Athletic’s 8 shots inside the area, direct wing play through I. Williams and A. Berenguer, and well-timed centre-back involvement from D. Vivian provided the cutting edge that decided the game.
