MADRID, 6 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The coach of Real Betis, Manuel Pellegrini, recalled that there are still 33 points to play for after falling out of the Champions League this Sunday, with a 1-3 against Atlético de Madrid in which he ended up weighing down an intense week in the second part.
“We were playing against Atlético, a very dangerous team on the counterattack. We had an extraordinary first half, with very clear chances and in the end we were able to draw. Atlético with a goal in their favor in one minute is a very dangerous team,” he said at a press conference .
The Betis coach regretted not taking advantage of the chances of the resumption to achieve the comeback. “In the second half it was essential to get ahead, Oblak made saves. We also felt the effort of the whole week, but I am happy with what the team did in the first half”, he stated.
“We are one point down and there is still a long way to go, we are going to fight to try to finish as high as possible. The fact that we are one point down with 33 points to play for does not mean anything. We have never set ourselves any goal either, it is to win as many points and we’ll see at the end”, he added, although there are two that separate him from Atlético.
Pellegrini insisted on wear and tear, with the Cup semi-final during the week. “It was fundamental not to score that second goal and when they did, we already felt the impact of the week and of this same match against a very precise team, one of the best squads in Spain with the whole week to prepare for the match,” he said.
Finally, the coach of the Betis denied that the Cup final will reduce the ambition in the League or any distraction. “We have a very distant goal, the best way to get there is to be a competitive team in the other two competitions”, he concluded.