Bolton Wanderers 0-2 Real Betis: Immediate Reaction

Bolton Wanderers have completed their four-match preseason without a single win and without a clean sheet. Fans have a right to be worried about opening day at Turf Moor next weekend with Wanderers trying to claw their way out of the Championship. When you step back and look at the pre-season as a whole and the matches that Wanderers played, it's easy to get flustered by the results at Rotherham United, Shrewsbury Town, and Carlisle United but the Real Betis match is nothing like those. Bolton were flat out beaten by a better team.

Betis opened the scoring on a miscleared ball from David Wheater. I know what you're thinking: "a mistake from Bolton's defense? Well I never!" The ball went off of the big central defender's foot and right at Jorge Molina, who finished it first time. They then doubled the advantage with a brilliant free kick from Joan Verdu that was so good, it left the home crowd applauding. It was Betis who were on top for the vast majority of the game, offering up more of the chances and a number of saves out of Adam Bogdan.

Bolton's lineup on the day was one that we can expect to be pretty close to the starting lineup at Burnley and well, there's some cause for concern.

With Turf Moor fast-approaching, there are a number of questions that have to be asked. We have to wonder at what stage Chung-Yong Lee and Stu Holden will be involved and whether Dougie will start the two (who were very busy this summer) on opening day. In addition to that, the first choice striker (or strikers) is far from a certainty. Wanderers have scored four goals over the pre-season with Marvin Sordell putting in three of them and Chris Eagles scoring the other. Jermaine Beckford has had a pair of cameo appearances and David Ngog has only seen action once, as has Tom Eaves.