Benito Villamarín, Guardiola’s final league challenge

Betis went 2-0 up in both the last two encounters

Pep Guardiola’s last league game as FCB manager won’t be an easy one. The venue is the Benito Villamarín in Seville, one of the few stadiums where he has never led the team to victory. Two visits, one draw and one defeat. Saturday gives him the chance to change the record.

Shock, reaction and draw

In the 2008/09 league season, Barça went to Betis on the back of a 22 match unbeaten streak, including 10 consecutive wins, and 9 straight victories away from home. But those records all looked in danger when the home side stormed into a 2-0 lead after just 24 minutes. Two goals from Eto’o managed to rescue a point for a team that eventually won the championship. Betis, in turn, were relegated.

Meaningless defeat

So Guardiola’s only other trip to Betis was not in the league but in the Copa del Rey, for last season’s quarter final. The tie was already as good as over after FCB had won the first leg 5-0 at the Camp Nou, but it took just seven minutes for the green and whites to pull a couple of goals back. Some Leo Messi magic helped set things straight and although the game ended with Betis winning 3-1, the Catalans comfortably qualified for the semi finals.