Strengthening the center of the defense became a priority for the sports management in the summer given the retirement of Sokratis and the transfers of Chadi Riad and Pezzella. So, The first to arrive at Heliópolis was Diego Llorentecoming from Leeds for 3.25 million after his loan to Roma and, later, after actively and passively trying to recruit Vitao, They finally opted for the transfer of Naran after the agreement reached with Naples.
The Madrid center-back landed at the Benito Villamarín and from the first moment he counted in Manuel Pellegrini’s plansto the point of almost immediately becoming a leader of the defense. The defender has recovered his best version as a green and white player and has established himself in the axis of the rearguard as a key piece.
So much so that The man from the capital had played all the minutes until in the 55th minute of the match against Celtathe preview before the break, had to leave the field of play with an overloadand shortly after Vigo’s second goal fell.
Diego Llorente joined the group at the beginning of the week, so who was available for the match against Valencia and, in fact, he entered the call, but Pellegrini preferred to give him a rest and leave him on the bench after having overcome the overload, and Betis greatly accused him
Not in vain, It was his first absence from the starting lineup in the league championship and the result could not have been more conclusive.confirming the green and white debacle in just six minutes, Pellegrini’s mistake of putting him on the bench and not allowing him any minutes. The team greatly missed his leadership and firmness in difficult moments and no one is unaware that with him on the pitch perhaps that inexplicable disconnection that condemned him at Mestalla would not have occurred.
In fact, Betis had not conceded four goals in a league match since last January against Barcelona and With Diego Llorente at the start, the most that Betis had received this season had been two goalsagainst Real Madrid (2-0), Mallorca (1-2) and on the day before the break against Celta (2-2).
It is strikingly significant that since the Madrid native retired from the field against the celestial The green and white have received a total of five goalsmore than in the previous six games, so the absence of the former Leeds player is a luxury that Pellegrini cannot afford.