Real Betis ace makes honest admission after Europa League defeat to Man United

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Andrea Guardado has admitted Real Betis did not make the most of their opportunities against Manchester United as the Spanish side exited the Europa League at the hands of Erik ten Hag’s men.

The Reds booked their place in the last eight of the competition with a 5-1 aggregate win over Betis. United secured a 4-1 victory over the La Liga outfit at Old Trafford in the first leg last week, before coming away from Spain with a 1-0 win in the reverse leg on Thursday night.

United were not at the their best in the first half, but they improved in the second period and were worthy winners in the end. Marcus Rashford scored his 27th goal of the campaign in the second period, with the 25-year-old surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo to become the club’s sixth-highest goalscorer in European football.

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Betis had several chances to get on the scoresheet against United in the second leg clash, with David de Gea making a good save in the first half, while Juanmi also missed a good chance to put the home side in front. Mexican international Guardado insisted he was proud of their performance, but admitted the tie could have been closer.

“We had opportunities in the first half to make the tie closer, but we didn’t take advantage of them, and if you don’t hit the many or few you have against these rivals, it’s impossible,” he told Mundo Deportivo. “We are very proud of the team’s effort and with our heads held high, and now to think about La Liga.”

Meanwhile, club captain Joaquin also reacted to the defeat, praising his teammates for their efforts in the two-legged tie against United.

“We gave everything until the end but it couldn’t be,” he wrote on Instagram.