Manuel Pellegrini he regretted the misfortune of his team in several key plays of the game: the 2-0 he had in his boots Juanmi, to which Ter Stegen made a great stop and the specific errors of Victor Ruiz, who made the 1-2 in own goal and fell asleep in the play of 2-3, propitiating an easy shot from Trincao. “It is a game that clearly has two faces: one is what we show from you to you, which is what we know how to do. Being out of the Cup and losing three points when we show that we have the capacity … We cannot be happy even though we had the personality to try to win. We had it with 1-0, unfortunately Messi came in and matched it, but then we had very bad fortune, with 1-2 and with that last goal ”.
Pellegrini affirms that the team is in good spirits despite the double stick received in just three days, KO cupbearer and the first match lost of the year: “The elimination of the Cup hurt us a lot, but this team is in a good moment and shows that it has personality, who has an instilled ambition and feels strong. There are ways to be eliminated, there was no frustration of capacity for not being superior, we have impotence but also confidence. And competitive level against any team. We are not happy but we are going to continue with the ambition and confidence to achieve something, because this team deserves it ”.
Fekir was one of the highlights: “Nabil is very involved, he has a lot of influence in our game and he just needs to have the fortune to convert, but it is difficult for him because he always has a personal best on top and receives many fouls when he approaches the area. But he is always an influential and decisive player, “said Pellegrini, who doesn't think it took him long to take Canales out:” Betis played a great game. We made important changes to give rhythm to a team that was playing well. We can talk about names, such as Channels, but they are only names in a team and there are many reasons behind all the changes we make ”.
Messi, as almost always, was the decisive player, because when he left Barça came back in just a few minutes: “Without a doubt we are facing a superior team, with Messi or not he always has 11 decisive players. The difference is made by technique, no matter how much we talk about tactics. The technique that Messi has is superlative and that is why he decides games ”.
Pellegrini was questioned as to whether he had erred in his approach to the match: “I'd rather lose without sacrificing my idea than to do it with the feeling of being inferior. We have played from you to you. The team knew how to compete against Barcelona without Messi and also against Messi. We cannot be happy because the points are gone, but I am sure to see a competitive team with the confidence to fight to do important things ”.
“Now I am left with the feeling of the team, I am satisfied despite the bad fortune of the own goal and the last goal. I personally discuss individual situations with the players, ”said Pellegrini, who had not yet seen the play in which Mandi claimed a penalty for a double stomp in the area, by Pjanic and Busquets. “I do not know if there is a penalty, I have not reviewed it, but although we suffer many situations, today I do not think we have lost by arbitration. It was a good refereeing ”.