Manuel Pellegrini refuses to get Rangers excuses in early as depleted Betis hold Real Madrid

Real Betis warmed up for Rangers by drawing 1-1 with Real Madrid despite missing a host of stars.

Manuel Pellegrini's side welcome the Gers to Seville this week for the final Europa League Group C clash. Three points either way would see the victors top the group and skip the playoff round against one of the Champions League dropouts. Defeat could see either drop into the Europa Conference League, with Sparta Prague banking on a win against Aris to propel them into first or second place.

But Betis coped just fine with top level opposition as they held Real to a 1-1 draw. Jude Bellingham continued his red hot scoring form for the visitors, putting them ahead in the 55th minute. But Aitor Ruibal squared things up for the hosts just 11 minutes later, and coach Pellegrini thought his side were the more likely to go on and win against the side that sits top of La Liga.

Betis will be without at least six of their regulars, but Pellegrini won't use that as an excuse whether it's real Madrid or Rangers standing in his team's way. He said: “I always consider that the points can be more. But here we have never hidden behind the fact that we are missing players. We try to have the ambition to reach as high as possible.

"But at this point in the campaign, in the three competitions, I think it is being a very good season with all the circumstances that have happened. Of the last 16 games we lost one. “We are focused on the real objectives that the institution has.”