Real Madrid were disappointed at La Cartuja on Friday, as they were defeated 1-0 at the hands of Real Betis. Los Blancos had a number of chances in the first half, but after failing to take them, they were made to pay late on when Troy Parrott scored – and their night was compounded when Kylian Mbappe missed a late penalty.
After the match, head coach Jose Mourinho spoke to the media (via Diario AS) to dissect events in Seville. He was very clear that he felt his side did not deserve to be leaving with no points.
Advertisement
“I think the team played a great game. Sometimes you lose and you don’t know why; sometimes it gets lost and you don’t know how to explain it. We were very dominant, our imperial centre-backs have controlled absolutely everything, there was a lot of offensive play, a lot of goal opportunities. If it ends in a draw, we leave frustrated because we have done more, so imagine how it feels with the defeat.
“I don’t know why we lost. I don’t know how to justify it, because collectively the team played very well, very well in all aspects. Individually too, I have nothing to reproach any player with his attitude. People have left everything. We deserved to win, but deserving doesn’t give you points. Congratulations to Betis, who played for a draw and got the upper hand.”
Mourinho was also asked to comment on the referee’s performance. He was rather impartial, stating that he had not seen the Carlos Espi offside goal nor the alleged encroachment at Mbappe’s penalty.
“I don’t know why I got a yellow, but it’s okay, I accept it. I reacted because a Betis player looked like he was dead there in front of the bench… but I don’t know. The situation of the penalty, the replay of the penalty, the goal by Espí… I don’t know, I can’t tell you. I’ve seen a lot of frustrated people on the bench, who were watching the plays. I haven’t seen it. I can’t comment. I think he has let play go, which is something I like. In this sense, I always like a referee who lets play go.
Advertisement
“The criterion of the yellows in the first half, that Betis reached the break without cards and poor Arda, who only knows how to play football, with a yellow card… I didn’t like it. But after losing a game, saying it’s because of a yellow card, no, I don’t do it. I can change my mind by watching the game tomorrow.”
Mbappe: Guler taken off before he was sent off
Mourinho was more critical of referee Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez when he spoke on the decision to take off Arda Guler, which was influenced by the fact that the Turkish midfielder was on a yellow card.
“It’s always difficult to replace Arda, yes. Very difficult. Because he was playing very well. Betis players are… in that sense they are smarter than Real Madrid’s. Real Madrid’s are pure, naïve. The first play of the match is a clear yellow card to a player who has hit Valverde. A minute later, another yellow card for a player who has made an important foul on Vinicius. But the Real Madrid players get up immediately. Betis players are smarter… they are smarter. And obviously with the support of a fantastic crowd that pushes, presses… They get this kind of thing. I don’t know how Arda ends the first half with a yellow card, when he has played so much, so much, so much… and he has made a foul and a yellow card. But then they were hunting him, obviously. And I had to take him off the field because I had that feeling that he was in a risky situation. And it has been difficult to change him, yes.”
Advertisement
Mourinho also spoke well of Espi, who had a big impact during his late cameo.
“A boy who comes in with 10/15 minutes to go and scores a fantastic goal that later, I don’t know… it may or may not be offside… But he’s an important player for us. We haven’t picked up points as a result of his work, but he did his job well. He has done well. He is a boy with great potential, and he will go further, because he is humble, hardworking, he wants to learn. I couldn’t be happier with him.”
Read the full article here