Betis head coach reveals the reason for the defeat against Barcelona

In a dramatic and goal-rich central clash of the 9th round of the Spanish La Liga, Betis lost 2:5 to Barcelona at home. However, this match caused a major uproar not only due to the beautiful goals but also because of serious controversies surrounding refereeing decisions.

Experienced head coach of the Seville club Manuel Pellegrini strongly criticized the decisions of head referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea and openly accused Barcelona's young forward Lamine Yamal of provocation.

"The referee has no feel for football": Pellegrini's main objections

In an interview with the influential publication AS, the hosts' manager emphasized that controversial situations completely changed the course of the game:

• One-sided decisions: "To be honest, the referee's work caused a depressive mood — he simply lacked the concept of feeling the game. His decisions directly and negatively affected the entire development of the match;

• Canceled goal and dangerous play: Our goal was disallowed — the ball touched the hand because Cucho was pushed, and this did not affect the scoring opportunity at all. In another situation, a Barcelona player's foot was raised to the height of an opponent's head, yet their goal was counted;

• The expulsion that decided the fate of the game: That exact red card decided the fate of the match: Lamine Yamal provoked, and our player reacted. Actually, neither of them should have been sent off — the referee should have called both and limited himself to yellow cards. With that decision, the game effectively ended".

The conflict in the 54th minute: Why was Bernal directly sent off?

The sharpest turning point that changed the fate of the match occurred when the score was 2:3 and Betis was putting pressure to equalize:

• Headbutt and red card: In the 54th minute of the match, during a clash and mutual argument, Betis midfielder Facundo Bernal headbutted Lamine Yamal;

• The referee's strict punishment: The referee showed a direct red card to Bernal without hesitation, forcing the hosts to play a man down;

• Warm thoughts regarding Yamal: Despite his objections, the coach also acknowledged the young star's skill: "Yamal is a great player. His clash with Bernal was the result of the match's tension. I can only congratulate Lamine on his beautiful goal".

Taking advantage of their numerical superiority, the Catalans scored two more goals towards the end of the match, further strengthening their sole leadership in the standings with a final 5:2 victory.