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Barcelona secured a place in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals after beating Real Betis 5-1 last night at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Montjuic.
Goals from Gavi, Jules Koundé, Raphinha, Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal sealed another resounding victory for the blaugranas.
As for Betis, their only goal came from a penalty, the scorer being Barcelona loanee Vitor Roque on his return to Montjuic.
Roque greets Barcelona after the defeat
Speaking to the media after the match, Vítor Roque praised Barcelona’s play, stating that they are the best team in the world at the moment.
“We were not at our best” Roque admitted in a post-match interview, quoted by Sports World.
“We tried to press high and shorten the distance, but it wasn’t possible. “Barcelona played an incredible game and fully deserved the victory.”
Reflecting further on the meeting, Roque added: “It has been very difficult for us because this Barça is today the best team in the world. “We tried, but it just wasn’t our day.”
Despite the defeat, Roque found some consolation in his goal back at Montjuic, as he stated:
“It was very special for me. I played here for six months and I am happy to have scored for Betis, although Iñaki Peña almost stopped it again.”
Manuel Pellegrini agree
Echoing Vítor Roque’s words, Real Betis coach Manuel Pellegrini also praised the Barça team, stating that the squad had some of the best players in the world.
“When you lose 5-1 the assessment is very negative. It cannot be positive in any way.” Pellegrini stated, quoted by Maryland.
“It is true that we are facing a great Barça, who are in spectacular form, as they demonstrated last Sunday in the Super Cup. “They are playing at a very high level, but we have also left too many defensive freedoms.”
Reflecting on the stark difference between Wednesday’s performance and Betis’ 2-2 draw against Barcelona in La Liga at the Villamarín just over a month ago, Pellegrini acknowledged the disparity in defensive intensity.
“At Villamarín we played very well and we deserved to win. “We created a lot of opportunities and were more aggressive in defense.” he explained.
“Today we left Barcelona too much space, waiting for them in our field without pressing the ball. They hurt us defensively in several areas.
“We know the level that Lamine Yamal has, but they created opportunities from various positions and scored five. “I think our lack of aggressiveness in recovering the ball was a key difference from the La Liga game.”
When asked if Lamine Yamal is currently the most impactful player in European football, Pellegrini highlighted Barcelona’s collective strength.
“It’s not just Lamine Yamal who is performing at a high level. Three, four or five players, like Raphinha, Olmo and Pedri, are also in excellent shape and this is reflected in their results.
“I don’t think Barcelona’s great game is due to a single player; It is the work of the entire team.”
