Real Betis suffers second preseason defeat against Vitoria Setúbal

Betis suffered their second preseason defeat, losing 0-1 against Vitoria Setúbal. The match highlighted the team's deficiencies in almost all areas. With both teams fielding substitute players, Pepe Mel's team was unable to find the necessary finishing touch to challenge the limited Portuguese side in Cartaya.

The lack of fluidity in the game was notable. Mel continues to experiment in order to find the best possible combination among his players, and the match against Vitoria was a test with more trials than possible conclusions.

The starting lineup included many players who haven't been regulars in previous friendly matches. Van der Vaart remained in the team and advanced his position: here, he is less involved in the build-up play but more decisive in the search for a final pass. Rennella had his chance but failed to take advantage, while Petros once again raised doubts about which position he performs best in. He started in midfield and from there his pressure led to some recoveries against the Portuguese team's poor ball distribution, but his influence faded with time.

Jordi played in central defense, which has been constantly changing. The Betis team showed more potential in the first half, but it was Vitoria Setúbal who struck first. Rennella showed that defending is not his strong suit and committed a penalty that André Claro converted to open the scoring at Rodríguez Salvador.

The connection between Van der Vaart and Rennella didn't work as desired. Fabián, who started the match, showed enthusiasm and good intentions before being substituted. Mel made changes in the second half, and N'Diaye brought more strength and intensity to the team's game. Meanwhile, Vitoria was content with searching for spaces due to Betis' risk-taking in their pursuit of an equalizer.

A chance for Cejudo and an incursion by Rubén Castro slightly worried Vitoria, but neither ideas nor intentions seemed capable of causing harm to the comfortable opponent.

With Rubén Castro and Jorge Molina as reference points in the final minutes, there was more real danger in a match that had turned into a festival of changes and experiments for both teams. The physicality came into play, and ending with a defeat once again represents a setback in Betis' planning. Without depth or finishing touch, Betis' dominance was only a glimpse of their lack of resources.