Betis begins its preseason this afternoon at 15:30 against SF Lotte in Germany, and the first test already carries more than the weight of a friendly. For players on the edge, this is the first real chance to make a case before Pellegrini starts narrowing the squad.
Iker Losada is one of the names under the strongest spotlight. After spending last season on loan at Levante, he said on ESE Podcast: “Me estoy preparando para dar lo mejor que pueda y hacerme un hueco en el equipo. Al final es mi sueño.” It is a clear message from a player who wants to stay, even if it still seems difficult for him to enter Pellegrini’s plans.
That is why the preseason opener matters now. It is not only about fitness or rhythm; it is about minutes that can change a player’s place in the pecking order. Gonzalo Petit, who spent last season on loan at Mirandés and Granada and is 19 years old, is in a different but equally delicate position because his future depends on the available non-EU slots. Those three places are currently occupied by Deossa, Natan and Antony, with Deossa more likely to leave and Natan also a possible departure.
The same logic applies across the group being watched. Junior Firpo needs to show in preseason that he can deliver optimal performance after injuries and a return to Spanish football. Riquelme has a path to start the season with minutes because Ez Abde is injured. Manu González will work as the third goalkeeper while also competing with the reserve team, and Morante and Corralejo arrive after already making their first-team debuts last season.
Pablo García is in a simpler but still unforgiving race: his preseason performance will help decide whether he stays, goes on loan or is sold. That is the part of summer football that matters most at Betis, where a friendly can shape the rest of a career. If this first match is any guide, the real contest is not against SF Lotte. It is against the shrinking space in Pellegrini’s squad.
