The narrative peaked during the group stage. The storyline was dominated by the tactical duel between José Mourinho and Manuel Pellegrini , two iconic managers with long-standing history.
A year earlier, in August 2021, the two teams met in a preseason friendly that shockingly saw three Roma players and Mourinho himself sent off in a chaotic 5-2 win for Betis, establishing a real "bad blood" narrative before the competitive games even began. Roma vs Betis
On October 6, 2022, Roma hosted Betis in a match that felt more like a knockout final. After Paulo Dybala put Roma ahead with a penalty, Guido Rodríguez equalized for the Spaniards. The narrative peaked during the group stage