Manuel Pellegrini, manager of Real Betis, has provided an explanation for Wednesday’s 4-1 Europa Conference League final loss to Chelsea.
Enzo Fernandez, Nicolas Jackson, Jadon Sancho, and Moisés Caicedo scored for Chelsea, who rallied to defeat Real Betis, a comeback that Pellegrini saw.
While speaking to the media after the game, Pellegrini hinted that his team lost to Chelsea because of substitutions, particularly in the second half.
Because injuries derailed his preparations, he claims that the Premier League side from west London caused more damage to Real Betis on the left wing during the match.
For Pellegrini, “We had a very good first half,” meaning that his team dominated possession, created more scoring opportunities, and ultimately prevailed.
The alterations had a significant impact on the game. They dealt greater damage to us on the left side. In the span of a few minutes, they completely reversed the match.”
Ricardo Esgaio was in command of the left side. They weren’t a problem at first, but when the injuries occurred, we were unable to keep up the pace we had hoped for, he continued.
“They pose a formidable challenge. There was a far wider disparity between the two teams than the final score of 4-1 indicated.