The national goalkeeper could not say goodbye to the Andalusian club (he was a substitute against Real Madrid). For three seasons the historic La Roja player competed for the position with the Portuguese and the figures show that the former Granada won this fight. In this campaign, the difference has widened, due to the Chilean’s long injury. One element where the objectives are practically equal is the winning percentage.
It is a fact that Claudio Bravo will not continue at Real Betis Balompié . Strictly speaking, on June 30 the goalkeeper training of the Andalusian team ends. He had the opportunity to say goodbye on the field, at the end of the Spanish championship, notably at the Santiago Bernabéu. However, he was left on the bench during the goalless draw against Real Madrid. Manuel Pellegrini chose to entrust the goal to Francisco Vieites, the team’s third goalkeeper, in the absence of the Portuguese Rui Silva, who was the heavyweight of the campaign.
After the match against Meringues, the national coach explained why he had not called on his compatriot. “Claudio Bravo did not play because his contract with the club is ending. That’s why we had to see Fran, who’s staying at the club. Decisions had to be made for next season. , said the Engineer. However, he also clarified that “Claudio’s contribution to the club has been very good. This season he hasn’t been able to do as much on the field due to injuries. However, he has always been very important in the locker room.
Since Bravo established himself in Europe’s elite, he has faced intense competition for the position. In Barcelona, it happened to him with the German Marc-André ter Stegen , where the tournaments followed one another (the German played the Champions League and the national, La Liga). Then, when he went to Manchester City, he had a duel for the goal with the Brazilian. Ederson . And at Betis he shared and competed for three seasons with Rui Silva , when the Portuguese joined the green and white store in the 2021-2022 season, from Granada. Both have different characteristics. If Bravo stands out for his positioning and footwork, the European has excellent reflexes between the sticks.
Do the comparative exercise of the goalkeepers of the last three seasons at Betis, when they met at the club (Bravo arrived a year earlier), the data shows that the scales tipped in favor of Rui Silva. In other words, Manuel Pellegrini He opted mainly for the Portuguese goalkeeper . In these three seasons he played more than the native of Viluco.
In the 2021-2022 campaign, Bravo played 23 of the Betic club’s 56 matches (2,008 minutes). , between the League, the Copa del Rey and the Europa League. He scored 27 goals and won 10 times. For his part, Rui Silva played 32 (2,822 minutes), including 30 as a starter. They have conceded 34 goals and won 17 times. During the 2022-2023 season, Bravo participated in 21 matches, passing below the two thousand minutes mark on the pitch (1,950), between four competitions: League, Copa del Rey, Super Cup and Europa League. He scored 22 goals. For his part, Rui Silva added 28 appearances, only in two tournaments (League and Europa League). They have conceded 33 goals and won 13 times.
The campaign with the biggest difference between goalkeepers is the recent one. Due to injuries, the former Colo Colo’s presence in the green and white goal was reduced. He only played nine games (810 minutes) out of the team’s 49, broken down as follows: seven in La Liga and two in the Europa League. Following a proximal myotendinous lesion of the left hamstring muscles, He was on leave from November last year until February 2024. He missed 17 Betis matches, his longest absence during his stay at the institution. On the other hand, Rui Silva has played 37 times, conceding 46 goals.
The figures indicate a more important role for the Portuguese compared to the Chilean in Betis’ goals for three years. While Rui Silva completed 97 matches, Claudio Bravo played 53 matches. Considering that Pellegrini’s team has played a total of 154 matches over the last three campaigns, it can be said that The double American champion with La Roja only played 34.4% of possible matches, compared to 63% for his Portuguese counterpart.
One area where the numbers narrow down has to do with each person’s winning percentage. It’s practically the same. Bravo recorded 45.3% of matches won (24 out of 53), while the former Granada had 45.4% (44 out of 97). With a total of 56 goals conceded in three seasons, the Chilean has a goal every 85 minutes in his goal. For his part, the European has a goal every 76.4 minutes (113 goals conceded).
“You always want the best team possible, but the players have responded year after year. “Important players have left, many leaders like Joaquín, Andrés Guardado and now Claudio Bravo,” Pellegrini said after the last La Liga match, acknowledging the status of the long-serving national goalkeeper, whose future will be a subject for the transfer market, because there is still free time (at 41). “Eternally grateful for everything we experienced in a magic club. In a spectacular location, where they made my whole family feel at home. Our hearts are full of good times and it will be like that forever,” Bravo said on his networks, after the tribute they paid him against Real Sociedad, in the last home match. It was his real farewell .
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Source: Latercera
I’m Scott Moore, a professional writer and journalist based in the US. I’ve been writing for various publications for over 8 years now, and have been working as an author at athletistic for the past five years. My work has been featured by some of the leading sports websites and magazines across Europe.
