Real Betis beat Porto 3-2 at La Cartuja Stadium in Seville on the second matchday of the Champions League league phase. Chilean coach Manuel Pellegrini's side overturned a 2-1 deficit to claim their second win in two matches.
According to La Tercera, the match put the Engineer among the 20 coaches with the most matches in the tournament's history. Cooperativa added that this is the first time Betis have won two consecutive Champions League matches, and that the victory came through a late Isco penalty.
Betis dominated the match, but that was not reflected in the first-half score. "We were far superior in the first half, and the 0-0 score did not reflect what was happening on the pitch," Pellegrini explained.
In the second half, Betis came close to making it 2-0, but Antony's shot hit the post. Porto, meanwhile, took advantage of two isolated attacks to turn the score around. "We stayed calm and managed to come from behind, and we deserved to win," said the Santiago-born coach.
On tactics, Pellegrini highlighted the improvement in playing out from the back against a physical opponent like the Portuguese side. "The intensity is tremendous. We were also able to maintain that aspect of our play in the second half," he said, praising the commitment of those who came off the bench.
The coach also recalled the emotional significance of the night. The Champions League returned to Seville for Betis fans after 21 years. "This is a team with just two Champions League appearances in 120 years of history," he said.
With six points after two matchdays, Betis are well placed to progress beyond the league phase, the club's main objective. Pellegrini remained cautious: "Until it is mathematically certain, we must keep fighting."
