Pellegrini hits back at Mourinho after Betis win

Real Betis's 1-0 win over Real Madrid at La Cartuja was followed by a public argument between the two coaches. Jose Mourinho said Betis played for a draw and it paid off. Manuel Pellegrini answered that his side went out to win from the first minute and took the one chance they converted.

The exchange, carried by AS and Goal, came after Real Madrid's first league defeat of Jose Mourinho's second spell.

What Pellegrini said

Pellegrini told AS the team chased the opponent's goal against a difficult rival. He said Betis had more of the ball in the second half while Madrid arrived from set pieces that Alvaro Valles stopped. A draw might have been fair, he added, but Betis scored the chance they had and Madrid did not.

He also rejected the idea that the referee decided the night. Yellow cards one way or the other, he said, were not decisive. Betis won because they finished an opening. Madrid either met Valles or missed the late penalty from Kylian Mbappe.

Two readings of one result

The result was settled on Friday. What the coaches' words shape is how that 1-0 will be remembered. Mourinho had called the display dominant and said he could not explain the loss from the bench. Pellegrini's reply is on the record: start to win, convert the chance, no referee alibi.

Photo: football stadium / Unsplash.