In the first round, Betis was close to victory against Madrid. What do you think went wrong?
We had a tremendous first half in which the team was far superior to Madrid. But with a little it hurts you and we had to lose. I think it was one of the first days that the Betis we were looking for was seen. We want it to be a match similar to that first part.
This Betis did not add just to the teams in the upper zone. Is it a thorn in?
The reality is that when they are there it is because they beat many teams. We want to improve that, get more points against the teams at the top. It would be an important plus.
LaLiga Santander
* Data updated as of April 23, 2021
What is your opinion of Zinedine Zidane as a coach?
He has won a lot … And that says it all. The results mark, since he arrived at Madrid he did great things.
Yes, they beat Madrid last season at Villamarín. Has much changed since then?
Things have changed, lately with Benzema they are a tremendous team, very difficult to beat. Courtois' season also helps with that consistency that they have. But Madrid is Madrid, it is always difficult to get points from them. We will go to win.
You speak of Benzema with enormous respect. You can see that he likes the French striker a lot.
He's been one of the best strikers for many years. Sometimes he has been evaluated in a different way … The talent he has, his scoring ability, his ability to assist. We are talking about eight or nine years at the top … Few players get that, it's great.
Who is your current reference as a striker?
I have forwards that I like a lot, I look at Lewandowski a lot, who dominates all the registers tremendously, Kane, Haaland, I like them and I'm looking at them now. Aspas I also love to see him, although there are many differences with my game compared to his because of the physicality. But things are learned from many forwards.
When Cristiano Ronaldo left, Madrid's scoring figures dropped. Do you think the departure of a player like the Portuguese is so decisive?
We are talking about one of the top historical scorers in football and his impact is immense. A guy who makes a difference like that is difficult to always find, of course. Although Real Madrid will.