Once the bad drink against Barça is over, a week begins in which the Bétis returns to Europa League with the challenge of strengthening their place among the top eight in the championship phase of the continental tournament. To those of … Pellegrini must travel to Croatia to visit a rival who also needs points, in his case to be able to sneak into the playoffs. This is the Dynamo Zagrebwho faces Thursday’s crucial match against Betis after a demanding duel in his country’s championship.
The Croatian team earned a 1-1 draw against eternal rivals Hajduk Split at the stadium this weekend. Maksimirwhich will also be the scene of the continental clash against the greens and whites. The equalizer, achieved in the 113th minute, allowed Croatia’s most successful team and Betis’ next rival to retain the lead in their domestic championship, albeit with a slim one-point advantage over their main rival.
Once the intense derby against Dinamo coach Hajduk was over, Mario Kovacevićimmediately turned his attention to the European match against Betis, showing confidence in his team’s possibilities: “I think we can be good and solid, threaten Betis with the counter-attack and get a good result. Our rival is having an excellent campaign,” Kovacevic said.
The confrontation against Pellegrini’s team has a crucial importance for Dinamo’s aspirationswho must add three to maintain his qualification options. The Kovacevic-led team has seven points in its locker, all achieved in the first three days after beating Fenerbahçe (then still under Mourinho), beating Maccabi Tel Aviv and drawing in Sweden against Malmoe.
However, the next two European matches ended in resounding defeats. Celta Vigo first won in Zagreb (0-3), then Lille did the same in France (4-0). These results compromised the passage to the round of 16 for the Croats, who face the duel against Betis as a real final. Her remaining schedule These include hosting Steaua Bucharest in January and finishing the away group against surprising Danish side Midtjylland, who currently share the top spot with Olympique Lyon.
Mario Kovacevic He took the reins of the bench last summer, building on his remarkable work at the head of Slaven Belupo, a Croatian team with a more modest profile. Concretely, Slaven will be Dinamo’s next opponent in the league next Sunday, currently occupying third position in the standings.
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