Real Betis manager Pellegrini was delighted with the team's performance in their away victory over Lille, however, he hopes the team will compete throughout the tournament and strive to advance to the knockout stages.
Speaking about the Champions League achievement, Pellegrini said: "More than a dream, it's about a team earning the right to participate in the Champions League, which seemed out of reach, based purely on their own merits. We achieved it, and the team is not satisfied with just that. We played a very complete game, especially in the first half, where the score didn't reflect the number of chances we created. In the second half, our opponents played with one fewer man, but we continued to play with personality and purpose, as we always do, regardless of the competition."
Speaking about the team's long absence from the Champions League, Pellegrini said: "Real Betis hasn't competed in the Champions League for many years, though some of our players have, as have I during my managerial career. The first thing we discussed is that qualifying for the Champions League is not the end goal; what truly matters is the mentality we've always fostered: striving for victory regardless of the opponent. The team played a very complete game today, coming from behind to take the lead, driven by this same mentality. We've competed in European competitions for five consecutive seasons, which also brings valuable experience."
Speaking about game control, Pellegrini said: "We had excellent control of the game away from home. In the first half, when leading 2-1, we had ten to twelve shots while our opponents had only three. Set pieces can level the playing field in terms of overall quality. If you look at possession, attacking play, and shots on goal, we were the stronger team than Lille, and we also played with real personality."
Speaking about the goal scorers, Pellegrini said: "I'm happy for both of them. Parrott has just joined the club, so scoring is very important for him. Bartra's header was not easy to execute. He's an experienced player, which is invaluable for our younger players just starting out. He knows exactly what he needs to do on the pitch."
Speaking about the team's objectives, Pellegrini said: "We are now competing in three competitions. We lost a game early in the league season, which was disappointing, but the team quickly recovered and then earned three points against Real Madrid. Now we're entering another competition, and we're not content with merely participating—we must prove our worth through our performance on the pitch. The team has the ability to compete at this level. My birthday present? Winning the next match."
Speaking about his instructions to Bartra during the match, Pellegrini said: "Experience must show on the pitch. If we're leading by just one goal and receive a corner in the 90th minute, we shouldn't play a short corner but rather a long one to waste the final minutes and maintain possession. That instruction was simply about protecting the lead."
Speaking about squad depth, Pellegrini said: "Rather than focusing on individual player names, I value the whole team's continued commitment to what we're doing. There are still some important players who need to regain their form, such as Lo Celso, Ceballos, and Abde. They will help us in the future, but for now, as I've told them, the priority is the players we have available right now."
Speaking about the team's reaction, Pellegrini said: "We must take pride in last season's achievements. This is Real Betis's second appearance in the Champions League, and that must be acknowledged—some Betis fans weren't even born the last time we were here. Qualifying for the Champions League is not the end goal, and we firmly believe we can prove our quality and advance in every match. We've made a good start, but many games still lie ahead, and the whole team knows what's required. I always ask them to show the same mentality on any pitch."
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