Manchester United head into Real Betis Europa League clash chastened by Liverpool drubbing

Imagine being one of the match analysts on the staff at Real Betis, collating and trying to make sense of information on future opponents during this crucial segment of the season.

Ahead of Real Madrid’s visit to Seville last weekend, they studied the Spanish champions’ preceding matches – and especially the ominous 46 minutes in late February when Madrid thumped five goals past Liverpool at Anfield.

Meanwhile, ahead of Betis’ trip to Manchester United for Thursday’s first leg of a Europa League last-16 tie, they scrutinise footage of United’s last fixture: Anfield, the same venue at which Madrid had run riot; a mere 12 days after Madrid routed Liverpool there, United shipped seven goals against the home team in the space of 45 minutes.

Trying to establish his bearings between these wildly fluctuating sets of data is Manuel Pellegrini, the vastly experienced Betis manager, whose team were solid enough to keep Madrid goalless on Sunday.

He sees United are well above Liverpool in the Premier League table. He is also wise enough to survey United’s dreadful thrashing at Anfield within the broader context of a run of form in which, since the new year, United have defeated Pellegrini’s old club Manchester City, eliminated Barcelona from Europe and lifted, with victory over Newcastle United in the League Cup final, their first trophy since 2017.

Pellegrini knows bad blips can sometimes just happen. He once oversaw a 7-0 defeat, managing Malaga, away at Real Madrid. His Malaga bounced back to win seven of their next 10 matches and within a year were qualifying for the Champions League.

When a thumping defeat interrupts a club’s momentum, it’s about how the players and the management react that counts.

Erik ten Hag, the United