Real Betis won 3-2 against Lille in the first matchday of the UEFA Champions League group stage. Isco was interviewed in the mixed zone after the match.

Now that you're in the Champions League, I imagine getting three points is the perfect start, isn't it?

Yes, absolutely delighted. I think it's very important to make a good start in this competition. We had a difficult match, fell behind twice, but that's also what characterizes this team. We don't give up, we never feel like it's hopeless. In the end, we came back, so we're very happy to return home with this result.

From your personal perspective, Isco? You've been gradually increasing your playing time and taking on more responsibility. How are you feeling now? You seem to be in good form.

Very good, I'm gradually getting better. It's true that I went through almost two seasons where I barely played. I need to find my rhythm in the game, and that can only be regained by playing match after match. Now I'm getting better, I'm almost pain-free, and I'm gradually losing that fear and anxiety. So I'm very happy to be back on the pitch, enjoying the game, and winning.

You know well what it's like to play in the Champions League, and you've won this competition several times. How important is it to start here with a victory?

Very important, especially since it's an away match against a strong team that's performing very well in their own league. Our mentality is to fight for a win in every match. Today we got three points, but there's still a long way to go. We can't be satisfied; we have to take it match by match and work hard to qualify.

The team did struggle with set pieces, so what's the key to bouncing back repeatedly after conceding from them? I suppose the red card also gave Betis some breathing room, didn't it?

I think set pieces are an area we haven't mastered yet. We need to work hard on this, see what went wrong, and then find a way to fix it. Because this will make it very, very difficult for us to win matches. If we concede goals from set pieces in every game, that's very problematic.

So let's see if we can find a solution. However, it's always easier to address this kind of problem after a win, so from that perspective, I'm still happy.

What's your secret with Bartra? He's scored two goals (laughs), he's performing brilliantly right now, isn't he?

Yes, I'm very happy for him. Happy about his goals, and happy that he's helping the team. Obviously, he's a very important player for us.

Playing in the Champions League again and winning like this, isn't it like a dream?

Yes, it's very special. You all know what this competition means, and what it means for the entire football world. To represent Betis in the Champions League now, and to do it as captain, is a double source of pride for me. I hope we can go very far, and we'll work hard for it.

What did Pellegrini tell you during halftime that helped turn the match around?

Actually, he didn't say anything special. He told us that some things needed to be done better, and also to maintain our confidence. Because we actually had some dangerous attacks in the first half, we just needed to be a bit calmer in the final third. As for the "Engineer," he understands these things very well.

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