Mourinho: Betis Played for a Draw, Got Lucky, and Won

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho commented on his team's 1-0 defeat to Betis in the fourth round of La Liga.

"I haven't looked at the controversial moments in detail. I didn't review them in the locker room, so I can't comment," Mourinho stated.

"I think the team played an excellent match. Sometimes you lose and you don't know why, you can't explain it. We dominated significantly, our central defenders were magnificent, controlling absolutely everything. There were many attacks and many scoring opportunities. If the match had ended in a draw, we would have been disappointed because we did more, so imagine how we feel after a loss," the Portuguese tactician said.

"Carlos Espi scored a fantastic goal; maybe it was offside, maybe not, but he did his job well. The lad has huge potential and will continue to improve because he is humble, hardworking, and eager to learn. I am very pleased with him," Mourinho shared.

"The team played well. Betis had a few counter-attacks, which is completely normal. I haven't looked at the statistics, but I can imagine what we achieved… We not only created chances but also maintained possession. We missed three or four clear opportunities, and their goalkeeper made three or four impressive saves. The substitutions weren't because I was unhappy with the team, but because you have to take off players with yellow cards. And if you have Diomande playing on the wing, it's better to bring on Trent Alexander-Arnold than Dumfries," the Real manager explained.

"I don't know why the referee showed me a yellow card, but I accept it. I stood up because it looked like a Betis player fell right in front of our bench. But I don't know, I can't say for sure. I saw a lot of upset people on the bench watching the replays on the screen. I think he let the game flow, I liked how he managed the yellow cards in the first half – Betis went into halftime without a single one…" Mourinho ironically noted.

"But I wouldn't say we won or lost because of a single yellow card. Maybe I'll change my mind after watching the game tomorrow, but today, judging by what I saw from the bench, I don't understand why we lost. The team played very well, and I have nothing to criticize anyone personally for. However, deserving the win doesn't earn you points. Congratulations to Betis, who played for a draw and got lucky," Mourinho added at the press conference.