Real Betis Coach Victor Sanchez del Amo explained he had to rest star players for his side’s victory in Malaga due to the busy fixture schedule.
Second half goals from Jonas Martin and Antonio Sanabria gave Betis a vital 2-1 triumph after Pablo Fornal’s opener for Malaga in a closely-fought Andalucian derby on Andalucian day, but Ruben Castro did not travel with Betis while Dani Ceballos only came on as a second-half substitute.
“This is a spell of five games in two weeks so we must rotate players and use our full squad,” explained Victor in reference to resting players.
“I respect that for some this will be hard to take but everybody is the same and it is even more relevant for the veterans within the squad.
“The victory wasn’t easy and it took a lot of hard work but it was definitely a deserved one for us.
“It’s very easy to let your heads drop after a run without winning games but the spirit within this squad is fantastic and shone through tonight.
“We now need to push on and start a bit of momentum – we believe in ourselves but must keep working hard and stay focused on our aims.
“The (special Andalucia day kit) was very special and maybe brought a little bit more out of the players – it’s a lovely kit and maybe we can wear it more often!”
Betis have now leapfrogged Malaga into 13th place in the league and are ten points above the relegation zone.
