Real Betis draws with Rayo Vallecano in LaLiga
Rayo went 2-0 up at halftime, but Betis scraped out a poor equaliser in the second half.
Rayo Vallecano and Betis were left with a bitter taste in their mouths this afternoon at the Estadio de Vallecas . The red-and-whites were looking for a win that would boost their chances of playing in Europe next season, while the green-and-whites needed the three points to maintain their chances of fighting for a Champions League spot. But neither Iñigo Pérez ‘s team , who went 2-0 up on the scoreboard, nor Pellegrini ‘s team , who equalized the score fifteen minutes into the second half, ended up achieving their objective.
The Madrid side currently holds eighth place in the standings, but Osasuna is catching up with them with 48 points with two games left in the championship. The Sevillians, meanwhile, remain five points behind Villarreal and, barring a miracle, are out of the fight for fifth place. A bittersweet 2-2 draw in a high-intensity duel ended with protests over extra time being cut short due to a medical incident in the stands, and Gonzalez Fuertes never fully recovered.
Two great goals from Rayo in the first half
Pellegrini said before the match that Rayo Vallecano was a dangerous team due to the quality of its players, its intensity… and because they had a perfect grasp of the Estadio de Vallecas , which is narrower and shorter than most First Division teams’ stadiums . A statement that became even more relevant in the closing stages of the first half, with Pedro Díaz the star of the show…
Until then, none of the attempts by either the red-and-white or the green-and-white had produced any truly clear scoring chances. A fine cross without a shot from Álvaro , some inaccurate shots from Antony and Cucho , a direct free kick from Isco that deflected off the wall, a shot from Fornals that died in the thick of the defensive line… It was a fireworks display until the real thing arrived.
Pedro Díaz had already shown off his powerful shot on several occasions this season. What no one at Betis expected was for him to try his luck at home. He received the ball in midfield, crossed the line of the center circle, already in the Betis half, and with a whip of fire, surprised Adrián . The Seville goalkeeper managed to touch the ball, which went over the crossbar, but then De Frutos appeared , smarter than anyone and avoiding the offside trap, to pounce on the rebound and head it into the net.
Nothing was going right for the Andalusian team. They were trailing on the scoreboard, slipping away from the Champions League , and to top it all off, they had lost Sabaly to injury after a nasty fall that damaged his left shoulder—terrible news less than two weeks before the Conference final . But just as he was looking toward halftime to try and recover, he received another blow to the chin, in boxing terms, that sent him straight to the canvas…
Balliu fought for a ball that seemed lost, coming out of his position, De Frutos received it and went vertically towards the area, and at the edge of the box, he was brought down by Bartra . Extra time had already expired, but González Fuertes , logically, allowed the free kick to be taken, a direct free kick that Lejeune executed perfectly with a powerful shot, evading the wall on the outside, which bounced before entering the goal. Adrián perhaps could have done more, but the 2-0 reflected what had been seen in a first half in which Rayo was the only one truly looking for the win.
Incomplete comeback by the Verdiblancos
Not far from Vallecas , in Butarque , Betis had gone into the break 2-0 down to Leganés a couple of months ago and ended up winning the match 2-3. That seemed to be the way the Betis team clung to, coming out of the locker room determined to turn the game around and quickly reducing the deficit. Cucho Hernández did his thing, receiving the ball with his back to goal, getting past Lejeune and Pathe Ciss , and looking for a powerful shot close to the post to score.
Nothing could be done for Batalla , who not even wore a cap to protect himself from the sun, which could have bothered Adrián on the first goal of the match, to prevent Betis’ goal. It wasn’t the Seville goalkeeper’s good time, as he missed a cross from Álvaro that almost cost his team a third. But what he couldn’t save for his team, he cleverly made up for it by starting the equalizer from his own goal.
He kicked a long ball, catching Rayo Vallecano’s defense out of position. Abde extended the ball with a header. Cucho got past Pedro and passed the ball back to the Moroccan, who, after feinting a shot, was brought down by Lejeune in the box. A clear penalty was awarded, and Isco put it in the top corner. It was the 16th goal participation, with goals and an assist, for the Malaga native in 20 matches. Pellegrini ‘s men hadn’t needed even fifteen minutes of the second half to nullify Rayo Vallecano’s lead.
A draw wasn’t enough for either side, so both benches were quick to make moves. Antony came close to a comeback with a shot that went wide. Adrián managed to redeem himself for his earlier errors by saving Álvaro from a one-on-one after a sensational pass from Isi . And once again the Seville goalkeeper was on target, clearing Unai López ‘s fine shot from the edge of the box. The game was now completely over.
Pacha , with a shot after a long drive, had the penultimate chance for a Rayo side that improved with the substitutions. The last was a double header from Aridane and a left-footed shot from Isi before González Fuertes called time on a four-minute stoppage time in the 96th minute, of which not even two were played due to a medical incident in the stands. Betis is practically out of the Champions League , and Rayo will have to continue fighting for the Conference title … with no margin for error.
