Inaki Pena was one of the positive figures for Barcelona, despite conceding two goals, as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Real Betis at Estadio Benito Villamarin today.
The La Masia graduate’s performance was key to stopping the hosts from scoring more and walking away with a win.
Pena’s stops especially on two shots – one from former teammate Ez Abde in the first half and another from Chimy Avila in the second were key moments.
While Pena did well personally, he did not hide his disappointment with the outcome after the match, claiming that the Blaugrana were outplayed by Manuel Pellegrini’s side.
“We are gutted for letting two points slip away, especially in a second half in which Betis outplayed us,” said Pena, as quoted by Mundo Deportivo.
Inaki Pena made some important saves. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)
Discussing what went wrong for the league leaders, the goalkeeper remarked: “They pressed us well, did not let us play, and with long balls, they caused us trouble. We could not play the ball out.”
Expressing his disappointment at not being able to protect their lead, he added: “When you get ahead, you cannot let two points slip away; it makes it very difficult.”
At the same time, though, Pena expressed satisfaction with his individual performance against Betis.
“On a personal level, I am happy to show the work I put in. It is an honour and a pleasure to play for Barça. Now, on Wednesday, we have another very important match,” said the La Masia graduate who has done more than enough to be ahead of Wojciech Szczesny.