Bartra laments Betis defeat as fixture congestion takes its toll
Betis defender Marc Bartra pointed to Thursday's Europa League trip and early goals as key factors in their 2-1 defeat to Alavés at Mendizorroza.
Betis found themselves on the wrong end of a 2-1 scoreline against Alavés, with defender Marc Bartra suggesting their European exploits earlier in the week played a significant part in their performance.
European hangover hits Betis
It was always going to be a tricky fixture for Betis, coming off the back of their Thursday night Europa League trip to Greece. The Seville outfit looked leggy from the off, with Bartra admitting that “it wasn’t an easy match after the one we’d just played - we found it really difficult to get into the game.”
You could see the Green and Whites were struggling to find their rhythm, which is hardly surprising considering they’d been on a four-hour flight in brass monkey weather just days before facing an Alavés side who’d had all week to prepare for this encounter.
Timing is everything
The timing of the goals proved crucial, with Alavés striking at the beginning of each half - a proper kick in the teeth for Betis who were already fighting an uphill battle.
Bartra highlighted how the match remained wide open throughout, suggesting either team could have nicked something: “It was a very open game. Anything could have happened. The goals came at key moments.”
The defender believes they might have rescued something had they found the net earlier: “If we’d scored our goal sooner, we could have taken some points, but it came too late.”
Looking ahead
This result marks two consecutive defeats for Betis, following their loss to Villarreal - though Bartra was keen to point out they delivered a “great performance” in that match despite the result.
With injuries mounting and the squad being stretched across three competitions, Bartra remains defiant about the team’s ability to bounce back:
“We know what it means to compete and be alive in three competitions. We have the squad to do it, although we have fewer and fewer players, but young players are stepping up.”
The defender also acknowledged the travelling support, promising a response in Thursday’s crucial fixture: “A lot of fans came who deserved much more from us, but they should stick with us on Thursday because we have a lot at stake.”
Betis will need to dust themselves down quickly as the fixtures continue to come thick and fast. With their squad depth being tested to the limit, it’ll be interesting to see how they navigate the coming weeks.