Isco: Chelsea 'ran over us' in second-half collapse

Real Betis paid the terms for taking their ft disconnected the pedal aft an awesome archetypal fractional successful Wednesday's Conference League last decision by Chelsea, said their inspirational skipper Isco and seasoned manager Manuel Pellegrini.

Betis were a extremity up astatine the interruption aft dominating their English opponents, but were swept distant successful the 2nd fractional arsenic Chelsea came backmost powerfully to grounds a 4-1 victory.

"We had a bully archetypal fractional wherever they hardly had immoderate chances," Isco said aft the match. "We had it adjacent and we didn't cognize however to instrumentality vantage of the score, thing that has penalised america each season. In a European final, mistakes are precise punishing.

"In the 2nd half, they ran implicit us. It's painful."

Abde Ezzalzouli staked Betis to their first-half pb from a pinpoint Isco assist, but Chelsea took power successful the 2nd fractional with Cole Palmer pulling the strings for the Premier League side, who had Enzo Fernández, Nicolas Jackson, Jadon Sancho and Moisés Caicedo each connected the scoresheet.

"I deliberation we took refuge successful the scoreboard a bit. We sat excessively deep. They're a squad with a batch of quality, a batch of power," said Isco, a five-times Champions League victor with Real Madrid who was outstanding successful the opening 45 minutes but similar the remainder of his teammates looked jaded aft the break.

"It's a precise dense decision aft what we did successful the archetypal half. Football is unforgiving.

"We couldn't support the bushed we expected. It was a pugnacious opponent. A last rout that I don't deliberation reflects the quality betwixt the 2 teams," added Pellegrini.

"We mustn't hide that we were facing Chelsea. I'm disappointed that we outplayed them successful the archetypal half, but past fto it gaffe successful the 2nd half."

Despite the second-half collapse, defender Marc Bartra, different subordinate with past Champions League occurrence astatine Barcelona, had immense praise for the Spanish club's fans, who vastly outnumbered Chelsea supporters and provided a noisy inheritance successful the Polish city.

"It's a root of pridefulness to spot the fans similar this," Bartra said. "I emotion this nine for the mode they ever enactment us, the mode they cheer america on. It's a root of pridefulness adjacent successful defeat. It says a batch astir this club.

"It seems similar the play is worthless now, but we'll admit it much arsenic clip goes on."

Teary-eyed defender Aitor Rubial promised they would beryllium back. Betis volition vie successful the higher level Europa League adjacent play aft a sixth-place decorativeness successful LaLiga.

"We've had a pugnacious clip this season, a truly pugnacious stretch, but we're assured that we're going to propulsion done this and we'll bash it again," helium predicted.

Information from Reuters was utilized successful this story.