Pellegrini offers no excuses after Betis crumble at Alavés: 'They played better than us'
The Engineer acknowledged Betis' shortcomings in their 2-1 defeat at Mendizorroza, with early goals in both halves proving decisive for the home side.
Manuel Pellegrini was in no mood to sugar-coat his side’s performance as Real Betis slumped to a 2-1 defeat against Deportivo Alavés at Mendizorroza on Sunday.
Early blows prove costly
The Verdiblancos were caught napping at the start of both halves, conceding within two minutes of kickoff in each period. These early setbacks proved too much for a Betis side that looked leggy throughout, with Pellegrini admitting the better team won on the day.
“It was a fair defeat,” the Chilean manager conceded post-match, in a rare moment of brutal honesty that you don’t often see from gaffers these days.
Thursday night blues
While Pellegrini was reluctant to reach for the excuse book, the fixture schedule hasn’t done Betis any favours. The squad only returned from Greece at 6pm on Friday following their Thursday night European exploits, before hopping on another plane to Vitoria on Saturday.
This punishing schedule, combined with Betis’ injury crisis, has left the squad looking proper knackered. Still, the Engineer wasn’t having any of it:
“I don’t like making excuses when we lose, but Thursday nights take their toll on Sundays,” Pellegrini explained, while maintaining that competing on multiple fronts is exactly what the club wants.
Injury concerns mounting
The injury list at Benito Villamarín is starting to look longer than my local’s bar tab, with more potential concerns emerging from this defeat:
- Antony Silva started despite carrying a knock
- Abde Ezzalzouli was forced off with what appeared to be a muscle issue
On Abde’s condition, Pellegrini remained cautious: “We don’t know yet. Tomorrow we’ll see the medical report and whether it’s just discomfort or an actual injury.”
European ambitions
Despite this setback in the league, Betis have little time to lick their wounds with crucial fixtures looming across all competitions:
- Thursday: Europa Conference League action
- La Liga: Valencia up next as they look to stay in European contention
- Copa del Rey: A massive tie against Atlético Madrid
Pellegrini emphasized the importance of finishing in the top eight of their European group to avoid additional playoff fixtures - something that would be a right Bobby Moore for his depleted squad heading into a jam-packed February.
The defeat is particularly painful as it prevents Betis from reclaiming fifth position in La Liga, leaving them playing catch-up in the European qualification race.