Jose Mourinho’s men arrived in the glorious Seville sunshine in the must-win territory after defeat in the reverse fixture last time out. His side dominated the early stages without overly working Claudio Bravo, and were eventually punished for their wastefulness just after the half-hour mark. Sergio Canales, consistently Betis’ most dangerous player throughout, saw his shot from the edge of the area deflect off Roger Ibanez and beyond the goalkeeper. The visitors needed a win to keep hopes of automatic qualification to the last 16 alive, but there appeared very little desire to chase the contest, as Manuel Pellegrini’s men effectively neutralized the contest. EUROPA LEAGUE: An important win for the Gunners in Scandinavia, Roma fail to retaliate against BetisMourinho’s men are still dependable on themselves which was enough for the Portuguese to be satisfied. “It was a game with a lot of pressure. It seemed like a direct elimination because if we lost we were out of the competition. The draw is a real lifesaver for us. Going down 1-0 after the first 45 minutes meant a lot of pressure. With all the problems we have with injuries and penalties, playing against a fresh team like Betis … effort and heart were our great quality, we deserved at least the draw. Perhaps with our quality we could risk more in the last 10 minutes, but we had to play with our heads. Now we’ll think in two more victories“ said Mourinho.José celebrating Roma’s goal during the VAR check, telling his players the goal was legal even before it was confirmed by the referee😂pic.twitter.com/u3ixFqGb7r— IM (@Iconic_Mourinho) October 13, 2022 With wins over both HJK and Ludogorets, Roma will finish second and qualify for the knockout stage which appealed to the Portuguese. He also talked about how he handled both Abraham and Belotti in the dressing room. “We have two games to play and to win, two knockout ties: if we don’t win, we’re out. But it’s a good thing, because we’re only thinking about ourselves: we don’t have to wait for any other result. Belotti and Abraham were disastrous in the first half, they came out with red ears, I hit them hard because they didn’t what I asked of them. I gave them a well-deserved chat in the dressing room at half-time. Then they were fantastic in the second half” revealed Roma’s coach.##NAJAVA_MECA_6724645##Mourinho was also asked if Betis is the candidate to win the competition to which he replied.”I see them as a candidate, but the failed sharks of the Champions League will arrive, they will arrive big. It will be fun. We want to go through and finish second, but if we finish third, we will be candidates to win the Conference . They are opponents who should not come to the Europa League , it is reality. The Champions League failures. The failed sharks are going to arrive, they are going to arrive big. It’s going to be fun” Mourinho said.
