Ahead of our meeting on Saturday, LaLiga Lowdown's Thom Harris takes us behind the lines and into the Real Betis camp

There was plenty to celebrate for Real Betis last season, as they recorded their highest finish since 2004/05 and lifted the Copa del Rey for the third time in their history. How would you sum up 2021/22?

It was one of the best seasons in the club’s history. That Copa del Rey victory - their first major trophy in more than 17 seasons - quenched an increasingly desperate thirst for silverware, and really felt like a huge weight off the shoulders of one of the largest, most passionate fanbases in all of Spain. Manuel Pellegrini has brought order to what was once a chaotic club.

While they still finished below their city neighbours Sevilla in LaLiga, it feels as if the tides are slowly turning in Andalusia’s capital, and it’s going to be fascinating to see how the pair battle it out next season.

What would you say are realistic aims for this season, with Betis set for just the 12th European campaign in their history?

Champions League qualification remains seriously competitive in LaLiga, with the likes of Villarreal, Real Sociedad and, indeed, Sevilla all battling it out behind the big three of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid - so perhaps it’s harsh to set qualification for Europe’s top competition as an expectation for Los Verdiblancos next season.

Nonetheless, given the quality of Pellegrini’s side, along with Diego Carlos’ departure and Jules Kounde’s uncertain future at Sevilla, perhaps now is the time to pounce. In terms of Europe, many in Spain were disappointed with their limp exit to Eintracht Frankfurt last season, yet the German side’s subsequent performances against Barcelona, West Ham and Rangers meant defeat to the eventual Europa League Champions felt more forgivable in hindsight.

It’s always difficult for clubs like Betis to keep all the plates spinning, but cup runs in both domestic and European competitions, along with a meaningful top four charge, should be realistic expectations for this steadily improving side.

Luiz Henrique and Luiz Felipe are the club’s only signings so far this summer. In which other areas are they looking to strengthen this summer?

Luiz Henrique, who has joined from Fluminense, looks to be a seriously exciting acquisition; videos of him tearing past his new team-mates in training have emerged on social media in recent weeks. Unlike the fleet-footed Juanmi and the silky Sergio Canales, Henrique is a wide player who could offer a real injection of pace, trickery and fearlessness in wide areas that Betis sometimes lacked last campaign.

Sticking to the Brazilian theme, Felipe has been brought in from Lazio to bolster an ageing group at centre-half, while the loan of former Wolves striker Willian José has been made permanent, too.

There are rumours of a sensational swoop for Lyon starlet Houssem Aouar, which would wrap up another satisfying window for Betis, who may wait until January to assess things at right-back.

Which player should Brentford fans keep an eye on?

It’s always difficult to predict a pre-season starting XI, but the aforementioned Luiz Henrique looks set to be given the chance to shine before their league campaign gets underway.

Other than him, the magical Canales has been one of LaLiga’s finest players for a while now, so the chance to see his mesmeric dribbling and pinpoint passing on English soil shouldn’t be missed.

There’s also the mercurial Nabil Fekir, Betis’ stocky showboat with that lethal left foot.

Tip-tapping winger Juanmi’s 16-goal tally was only bettered by four players in Spain’s top flight last season.

Despite all of the above, make sure to keep a look out for 40-year-old Joaquín, entering what must surely be his 14th and final season with the club. A true legend of the Spanish game, who emotionally lifted the Copa Del Rey last season, Brentford fans should savour the opportunity to see one of LaLiga’s greatest-ever players at Gtech Community Stadium.

How is Manuel Pellegrini likely to set up his side in West London?

The former Manchester City boss never strayed too far from his trusty 4-2-3-1 last season, so I expect him to go with something similar in London.

Heavy pre-season rotations aside, his best XI consists of Portuguese international Rui Silva in goal, behind a back four of Alex Moreno, Luiz Felipe, German Pezzela and Youssef Sabaly. Moreno was exceptional going forward from left-back last season, while Sabaly is a fantastic tackler with great pace and power going forward.

Sitting in front of the strongest defence would be the brilliant Guido Rodríguez, an exceptional passer who loves to break up the play, along with the titanic figure of William Carvalho, who came into his own with some unstoppable bursts into the attacking third last term.

Then the lethal trio of Juanmi, Fekir and Canales look to provide the magic in behind the bulk of Borja Iglesias, the affectionately named ‘El Panda’, whose bustling presence up front knits all the attacking play together. That being said, expect to see cameos from Henrique, Diego Lainez and Rodri Sánchez among others - tricky wide players with a lot to prove going into the new season.

What’s your score prediction for the game?

With this being their fourth game of pre-season, and just two weeks before their season opener at home to Elche, I expect to see a well-drilled Real Betis, starting to put together some fresh ideas going into an intriguing new campaign.

Brentford should provide a stern test, however, so I’m predicting an entertaining 2-2 draw, with lots of exciting football being played between two motivated teams with markedly upward trajectories.

Secure your seats for our final pre-season game against Real Betis. Tickets for this fixture are available from £15 Adult, £10 Senior and Young Person and £5 for Juniors.