The Engineer faces a Greek wall in Seville

Real Betis are currently performing a masterclass in how to turn a promising European campaign into a very expensive therapy session. After finishing a lofty 4th in the Europa League phase, Manuel Pellegrini’s men decided the best way to approach the first leg in Athens was to play with the urgency of a man waiting for a bus in the pouring rain. They didn't just lose 1-0; they managed to look bored while doing it.

Currently 5th in La Liga with 42 points, the Andalous are traversing a crisis of faith. Four matches without a win and a possession of the ball so sterile it could be used to clean surgical equipment. Pellegrini, "The Engineer," has built a squad that can pass a ball through a needle’s eye but consistently forgets to actually CADRER. With Diego Llorente suspended after his red card in Greece, the defensive line looks about as solid as a wet paper towel.

In the opposite corner, Panathinaikos arrive with the unshakeable confidence of a team that has forgotten how to lose. Second in the Greek league with 58 points and currently on a nine-match unbeaten streak, the Greens have rediscovered the joy of being absolutely unbearable. They don't care about "The Beautiful Game" or your expected goals. They care about GRINTA, time-wasting, and parking a bus made of solid marble in front of their goal.

Expect the script to be painful: Betis will have 75% possession, Isco will try to find a gap that doesn't exist, and the Greek players will spend half the match miraculously recovering from life-threatening injuries every time the ball goes out of play. If Betis doesn't find the manual to their own offense soon, the only thing they’ll be engineering is an early exit.

Bold Prediction: Real Betis 1-1 Panathinaikos