Martino values points over performances
Barcelona boss Gerardo Martino was not concerned by the nature of the 3-1 win over Real Betis on Saturday, with the points all important.
![](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/5CqdZABhBonRYUx9suvqTf.jpg)
Two goals from Lionel Messi either side of half-time and an own goal from Jordi Figueras secured victory for the champions, with Ruben Castro responding for the visitors in a less-than-straightforward afternoon for the home side.
The win means that Barcelona kept pace with Atletico at the top of the table, after Diego Simeone's side had claimed a hard-fought 1-0 win at home to Villarreal earlier in the day.
Despite the scoreline, it was far from a vintage performance from Barca, but Martino believes that wins, not performances, are more important at this stage of the season.
He said: "In a sense, I was expecting today's match to not play out like our previous ones. For once, I'm going to focus 100 per cent on the result, not how we played.
"I don't want to make excuses. The feeling that I have is that in between the game this past Tuesday (against Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League) and the one next Wednesday (in the second leg) this match against Betis snuck up on us.
"We needed to win in order to continue putting pressure on the leaders."
With the second leg of their European tie to come next week and the games both domestically and on the continent coming thick and fast, Martino admitted that he had missed a chance to keep some of his players fresh.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
"I wanted to rest some of the players ahead of Wednesday's game against Atletico if today's game had gone differently. It didn't play out that way," he added.
"I probably could have given more rest to some of the players who featured on Tuesday. Perhaps I didn't go far enough with the rotations."
![LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 5: Arne Slot Manager of Liverpool congratulates Mohamed Salah of Liverpool after the 4-0 victory during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD4 match between Liverpool FC and Bayer 04 Leverkusen at Anfield on November 5, 2024 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty Images)](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/q3ie7X2vDDiU7X6C9HVRK7-840-80.jpg)
‘The pure simplicity of the way Slot has managed the squad is probably the biggest thing I could say about him. It’s not broken, so let’s get on with it’: Liverpool legend full of admiration for Jurgen Klopp's successor at Anfield
![CARDIFF, UNITED KINGDOM - JUNE 02: Wales captain Ryan Giggs shakes the hand of manager John Toshack after being substituted on his last International appearance for his country during the Euro 2008 Group D Qualifying Match between Wales and Czech Republic at the Millennium Stadium on June 2, 2007 in Cardiff, Wales. Photo by (Stu Forster/Getty Images)](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ooQ9oNmgvfUUG8TBUhn6BK-840-80.jpg)
‘I trained at Spurs and thought they’d give me a chance. But I received a letter thanking me but saying they didn’t think I was good enough – I was gutted’: How Tottenham missed out on signing Wales legend John Toshack