Ange Postecoglou and Nottingham Forest are coming up against Manuel Pellegrini on Wednesday, with the Real Betis boss looking to exploit a perceived complication in the visitors’ camp.
Despite being the hardest game of the league phase on paper, Forest are slight favourites to beat Betis away from home in Seville.
Postecoglou’s experience in UEFA competitions should certainly help matters, but it will be interesting to see whether the Reds squad can compete with their more experienced opponents, who reached the Conference League final last season.
Nobody emphasises this experience more than Pellegrini on the touchline, who believes that he has discovered an issue at Forest that he can exploit.
Manuel Pellegrini on ‘complicated’ Ange Postecoglou situation
Pellegrini is the picture of stability at Betis, having taken charge in 2020 and delivered European football for five consecutive seasons.
In the opposite camp, Postecoglou is still finding his feet at the City Ground and as the Australian attempts to implement his style of play, Pellegrini clearly thinks that now is a good time to play the Reds.
He told the press: “It’s always negative for teams. The new coach barely has time to instil his ideas with midweek and league games; it’s complicated, but what we can’t believe is that just because it’s complicated, we’ll lower the intensity.
“What the opponent does is irrelevant. We have to be focused, and this season we have a balanced squad to be able to do important things, but we have to prove it.”
Away from Postecoglou, Pellegrini is clearly impressed by the talent in the Forest squad, referencing last season’s success at the City Ground as a key factor in making the Reds a dangerous opponent.
Manuel Pellegrini is wary of ‘tough’ Nottingham Forest
The Chilean hasn’t had the ideal preparation for Wednesday, with Betis losing Diego Llorente to injury, as well as the long-term absence of Isco.
Pellegrini clearly feels as if he could’ve done with having his strongest group of players available, given how highly he rates Forest’s transfer business in particular.
On the Reds, Pellegrini said: “Last year, they were fighting to qualify for the Champions League until two or three games before the end of the season.
“They were promoted into the Europa League for legal reasons and have strengthened well with new players. They also have an experienced manager whom we already faced against Celtic. They will be a tough opponent.”
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