Real Betis have turned their Champions League return into an early statement, taking maximum points from their first three league-phase matches and joining Real Madrid, Aston Villa, Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool as the only clubs with a perfect record.
For Manuel Pellegrini’s side, back in Europe’s top competition after a 21-year absence, the opening has altered both the mood and the financial outlook in Seville. Betis have already secured €24.9m from the campaign, more than they earned across last season’s run to the Europa League quarter-finals.
Quick facts
- Betis have won all three of their Champions League league-phase fixtures.
- The club have received €18.6m for reaching the league phase and €2.1m for each victory.
- The current total of €24.9m exceeds last season’s Europa League income, despite that quarter-final run.
- Betis had budgeted for one win and two draws at this stage.
- Borussia Dortmund are their next Champions League opponents.
The three victories have carried Betis beyond the expectations set before the season. The club’s planning assumed five points from the first three games; Pellegrini’s team instead have taken nine and placed qualification for the next stage within reach.
Pellegrini has resisted projecting too far ahead, maintaining his usual emphasis on squad rotation and La Liga commitments. But he made clear that Betis do not intend to protect what they have achieved.
“We do not want it to stop here,” the coach said. “We will try to win the remaining matches with the same ambition. Hopefully we can do it.”
Dani Ceballos described the start as historic, and there is a clear reason for that assessment. Betis are the first Spanish club outside Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid to open a Champions League campaign with three straight wins since Málaga did so under Pellegrini.
That Málaga side beat Zenit, Anderlecht and Milan in their first three group matches, before draws took them into the last 16. They then eliminated Porto and were knocked out by Borussia Dortmund in a dramatic quarter-final, a tie still associated with Pellegrini and Isco.
The competition format has changed since then, but the comparison gives Betis supporters a reference point for what a fast start can become. Pellegrini’s current team are no longer approaching the Champions League as visitors hoping merely to take part.
“It is a huge step,” Pellegrini said. The next test comes against Dortmund, with Betis seeking another result that would turn an outstanding opening into a decisive European week.
