Bilbao, Nov 3 (EFE).- Real Betis coach, Manuel Pellegrini, described as “very valuable” the point achieved by Betis tonight in San Mamés against an Athletic team to whom he acknowledged that “in the first half it was very superior” to his team.
“In the first half, Athletic was much superior to us and had many scoring chances. We didn’t find the ball and we had no chance to hurt them in defense,” he noted.
However, Pellegrini congratulated himself on the improvement in the second half. “In the second half we fixed it, we were much better, we took the lead on the scoreboard, we had a couple more opportunities and they also had chances,” he explained.
The Betic coach recalled that it has been his turn to “see it on the other side many times this season” in games like today’s. “Matches where we had countless opportunities and in the end we lost or tied,” he noted.
Pellegrini, however, complained about his team’s fatigue. “And I always say that Thursday matches take a lot of toll. We played the Copa del Rey and we arrived at three in the morning, we didn’t even have a day to prepare for the match. We just rested and came here to play against Athletic who “He had the whole week to prepare for the game. The physical intensity was different,” he noted.
“But it has been a very valuable point, against a great team and one that will always be very difficult in their stadium,” he summarized.
Regarding the emotion of Pablo Fornals when he scored the 0-1 and dedicated it to the victims of Valencia, his homeland, he said: “we are all very affected by what is happening, they are regrettable and sad images with dead and missing people. With more Pablo, who is from that area and knows a lot of people.
“I think it is time for everyone to help, if not to overcome this situation, at least to smooth it out. But not just Pablo, but we all have to be very affected,” he added. EFE
