Manuel Pellegrini: “It was very important to start by winning this game against HJK Helsinki.” | OneFootball

Last night Real Betis defeated HJK Helsinki 2-0 in the first round of the Europa League.

In his post-match interview that appeared on Marca, Manuel Pellegrini evaluated the game:

“It was very important to start by winning this game playing away. It took us a while to get used to the pitch, but then we played a very complete game in defence and attack and their goalkeeper saved two or three good attempts at the start.”

The Real Betis coach discussed the injuries of Juanmi and Víctor Ruiz:

“Unfortunately, we ended up with two injuries. We’ll see how serious Juanmi’s injury is, but my first impression is that he will be out for a while. Víctor Ruiz went down with his ankle. It could be a minor sprain, but we’ll determine that tomorrow with the doctor.”

Pellegrini also praised the performance of Willian José who scored a brace in the game:

“Regardless of the injuries, Willian José was an important player for us. He was the last player we registered and we couldn’t lose a player as important as him. He was already an important player for us last year. Him and Borja Iglesias play up front. I’m happy for him because in the last few weeks he has had a hard time not playing and today he reversed that with two goals.”