Real Betis coach Manuel Pellegrini said it was difficult for his team to face Real Madrid and the video assistant referee (Var), after his team lost 3-2 at home in the Spanish Premier League on Saturday, despite beating the defending champions in large periods of the match.
Betis overcooked his net early to lead Real Madrid 2-1 at the end of the first half.
But 3 interventions from the video assistant referee went in the favor of the defending champion in the second half, and led to Real Madrid equalizing, then Emerson sent out Betis, and the visiting team got a penalty kick in the last minutes that Sergio Ramos successfully executed to collect the three points.
"It is very difficult to face Real Madrid and the video assistant referee. We were much better than Real Madrid in the first half, we scored two goals and had 3 real chances to score. The second half was more equal, then came the red card and the penalty kick, and it was playing," Pellegrini said at a press conference. 10 difficult players in this long period. "
"When you are facing Real Madrid and a penalty kick is awarded against you and a player is dismissed for the video assistant referee, this is a very difficult thing. But I appreciate our good form when we were 11 players against 11."
Pellegrini, who coached Real Madrid in the 2009/10 season, led Betis to two wins in the first two games of the new season and is still happy with his team's performance despite the way he lost.
"The positive thing is that I became more sure that we are on the right track. When we were 11 players against 11 on the field, we were much better than Real Madrid," he said.
On the other hand, Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane was tired of the constant talk about the referees during his team’s journey to the title last season, and he seemed unwilling to enter into this controversy on Saturday.
Zidane said, "There is a referee and his job is to review events. I think what happened today was fair. The referee is responsible, I do not interfere at all in the referees' work and I will not do that today. The most important thing is the way we played, and we did everything we could in a very difficult stadium." ".
"We are very happy and satisfied with the work we have done. We did our best and got the three points," he added.