Real Betis captain Joaquin was full of praise for his teammates after they drew 1-1 against Inter in a friendly in Seville this evening.
The veteran midfielder featured at the Estadio Benito Villamarin as Juanmi gave the La Liga club the lead late on, only for Inter wingback Matteo Darmian to equalise just moments later.
In an interview with Betis TV after the final whistle, and as reported by FCInterNews.it, the former Fiorentina winger spoke of the difficulty of trying to match a team like Inter, but felt that the Spanish club had done so in the game.
“Today’s match was an important test against a good team like Inter. You have to play at a very high level if you don’t want them to overrun you. We’re moving forward, we’re looking forward to the competition,” the 41-year-old declared.
After securing a draw against their Serie A opponents, Joaquin felt that Betis had given a good account of themselves and ought to be pleased with their display against a tough team like Inter.
“Inter are a very high level team, playing, running, fighting. They have crazy game mechanics, but I think we’ve been up to it and we’re continuing to get into the competitive rhythm that we’re looking for.
“The balance is positive. Regardless of the draw, we saw our philosophy of play come through.”
From a personal point of view, the former Spain international was pleased to be back on the pitch after a period of absence
“I am happy to be back playing and getting minutes. I felt well considering the time I wasn’t playing. It’s important to get minutes, find myself and enjoy myself. I found myself again better than I thought I would.”
Joaquin was the architect of Juanmi’s goal, and likened the striker to ex-Betis and AC Milan striker Ricardo Oliveira.
“The same thing happens to me with him as when I started with Ricardo Oliveira. You didn’t have to look to know he was there. I knew that if I put the ball in the right place he would get it. I only have to think about serving him, he takes care of the rest,” he concluded.
Joaquin returned to boyhood club Betis from Fiorentina in 2015 after two seasons in Serie A, and has made 508 appearances for the Verdiblancos.