Real Betis defeated Lille 3-2 in the group stage of the Champions League. Fornals was interviewed in the mixed zone after the match.

With so many strong opponents, getting points here, or even winning the match, is very crucial, isn't it?

Yes, we all know how difficult this is. All teams have qualified for the Champions League through their own performances, as have we, so we have to be ready to compete against any opponent. Of course, we're all very happy now. Many players in the team, like me, have never played in the Champions League before; and some players haven't participated in this competition for a long time. I think the team's anticipation and excitement for the Champions League was very evident in tonight's match.

Everyone said beforehand that a good start is very important, isn't it? So everyone can relax a bit and gradually understand what this competition will be like. Now that you've succeeded, what's next?

Next is to keep competing. We have a very important match on Monday against an opponent we've been competing with for a Champions League place or other European competition for several years now. So we need to maintain this positive momentum, keep competing, and keep everyone engaged. I think this is also something we've done quite well at the start of the league season.

In this match, you fell behind twice. Everyone often talks about mental toughness and team resilience. There have been moments like that this season, for example, in that match in Madrid, you faced difficulties but ultimately managed to come back and fight until the end, didn't you?

Indeed, we still have some unresolved issues that need further improvement, especially with set pieces. However, on the other hand, we're also quite dangerous with attacking set pieces. So, yes, I think this match showed the team's resilience and also showed how much we all wanted to play well tonight.

The next Champions League match is in a month, and it's at home. I imagine you're all very much looking forward to it now? Have you already started counting down the days?

I think everyone, including the fans, is looking forward to a Champions League night at home. But as you said, there's still a month until that match. What will really determine whether we can continue to participate in the Champions League or other European competition next year is the league.

So if we keep thinking about the Champions League over the next month, that would be a mistake on our part. As I just said, the most important thing now is to think about Villarreal, and then try to get three points again.

You said earlier that your dream was to play in the Champions League. Today, when you heard the Champions League anthem and actually stepped onto the pitch, how did you feel?

It was truly incredible. As I just said, this has been my dream since childhood. I never had the chance to hear this anthem as a participating player before, so I'm very happy to actually experience all of this tonight.

Is it also very important for the team to have a coach like Pellegrini, who has experienced the Champions League many times, on the bench?

Of course, it's very important. Not only because he has participated in the Champions League many times, but also because he has a lot of experience and knows exactly how to manage the entire team. He can keep us all calm, tell us what we need to do, and how we should compete.

The next two Champions League opponents are Porto and Feyenoord. Both teams have a style similar to Lille, and both matches are at home. Do you think Real Betis's prospects in this competition will depend heavily on these two matches?

It depends on all the matches. There are 8 matches in this league phase, and each one will be very important. However, I think we earned the right to participate in the Champions League through our performance last season, which is a reward in itself. As I said before, there's still a long time until the match against Porto, so right now we need to focus on Villarreal first.

Today, the team clearly showed a lot of effort on the pitch, and everyone was very engaged. As you just said, the team fell behind twice but came back both times. You yourself were involved, providing a very accurate cross that helped Bartra score with a header. What does this victory mean for the dressing room?

It means tremendous joy. At the same time, I think it also made us truly realize that we have the ability to compete in the Champions League. We got three points and proved that this team can compete against any opponent. So I think it was truly a beautiful night.

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