'I was sh*tting myself!' - Real Betis' Miranda brutally honest after scoring winning penalty in Copa del Rey final

Real Betis left-back Juan Miranda was brutally honest about his nerves after scoring the winning penalty in the Copa del Rey final as he admitted he was "sh*tting" himself.

Betis lifted the domestic cup for only the third time in their history and the first time since 2005 after beating Valencia on penalties at the Estadio de La Cartuja.

The game finished 1-1 after extra time and thusly had to be decided by spot-kicks, with Miranda eventually stepping up to a the 5-4 shootout victory for Manuel Pellegrini's side.

What did Miranda say about his match-winning penalty?

The former Barcelona academy star, who joined Betis on a permanent deal in June 2021, has conceded that he was feeling the pressure when walking up to take the penalty, but the support of his friends and family pulled him through.

"I was sh*tting myself, I'm not going to lie to you, but that's why it tastes better. Before the penalty, I was thinking of my family and friends, who were there behind [the goal]," Miranda told the club's official website after the game.

"I was sure we would win, that it would turn out well and that this cup was coming for Benito [Villamarín].

"We deserved it and the fans deserve it after so many years of fighting."

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Fekir reflects on 'unforgettable night'

Nabil Fekir was also one of the heroes for Betis on Saturday night as he clinched the first major trophy of his club career, and expressed his joy after the final whistle.

"Unforgettable night. In our city, it's something very beautiful, difficult to describe. Everyone is happy. The fans, the players, everyone," the France international told reporters.

Fekir raised more than a few eyebrows when he chose to join Betis from Lyon in 2019 amid interest from a number of top European clubs, including Liverpool.

The 28-year-old is "proud" to be part of the Los Verdiblancos, though, and was relieved to get his hands on some silverware after being targeted for rough treatment by Valencia defenders throughout the contest.

"I knew it, it's normal [the fouls]. When you play a final there is a lot of intensity, they don't leave you any space," Fekir added. "It wasn't our best game, we had two parts. A very good first twenty minutes, we scored and went down a bit, but thank God we were able to get victory.

"It's always very nice to win cups. I won the World Cup and today the Copa del Rey. Very proud to belong to such a club."

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