Manuel Pellegrini spoke in the pre-match press conference ahead of Barcelona's visit to La Cartuja on 17 October and said Real Betis will play to win. Betis are unbeaten at home with five wins and one draw, while Barcelona have won 10 in a row, eight in La Liga and two in the Champions League.
What Pellegrini said about Barcelona
Pellegrini said: "They are a team with a great ability to finish off attacks and they have extremely creative players. Matches like this usually offer plenty of chances, but we have to be extremely alert and focused defensively, because Barcelona play with intensity throughout the match and do not allow mistakes."
Pellegrini said: "They build attacks from the back excellently, and they are also very strong on the counter-attack."
Betis' plan for the match
Pellegrini said: "We will try to be an attacking team and we will play the match to win."
Pellegrini said: "To take points off the leaders, we need to play a complete match defensively, without mistakes, and take the chances that come our way."
Pellegrini said: "Even if we win all our matches, that does not guarantee we will win the next one, and a defeat does not necessarily mean we are going to lose. Every match has its own story."
The La Cartuja pitch
Pellegrini said: "The pitch is usually in excellent condition. The weather is still very hot and the run of matches, against Osasuna and Porto, has not given enough time for recovery, but the surface is in good condition and will not affect the result of the match."