Betis reinforces its position in the Europa League

When closing the party the day, both teams were clear about how they stayed in the table according to the result that was given, that in the case of a local triumph it was to consolidate in the sixth, seven points behind the seventh and very close to fifth, Villarreal, with only two more; and in the visitor’s with the option to rise to the seventh.

Interesting European objectives of two teams that arrived at Benito Villamarín after winning the previous day, Betis in San Mamés against Athletic (0-1) and Rayo in Vallecas against Valladolid (2-1), with which the mission was to extend the streak.

For this, the Sevillian coach, the Chilean Manuel Pellegrini, gave continuity in the tip to the Brazilian Willian José, author of the goal in Bilbao, and put Édgar González in the center of defense, who was unable to play that game due to suspension.

In Madrid, its coach, Andoni Iraola, repeated the same eleven as against Valladolid, since he kept the Ghanaian Abdul Mumin in the axis of the rear and left the Frenchman Florian Lejeune in the substitution despite the fact that he had served the suspension game that had left him out last week.

The match started electric, because before the In the first minute, an incursion to the left by Álvaro García ended with a save by Chilean goalkeeper Claudio Bravobut the rejection reached Isi Palazón for him to finish off and the ball was repelled by a post.

Three minutes later it was the Brazilian Luiz Henrique who made the Macedonian goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski intervene, who sent the ball to a corner and for it to bounce so that Senegalese right-back Youssouf Sabaly A left-footed shot will be taken from outside the area that put the ball into the goal by the squad.

The early 1-0 did not change the start of the match at all, with Betis wanting to attack and Rayo fast to plant himself in the opponent’s area, to the point that Isi Palazón saw how, before the first quarter of an hour was up, another shot of his hit a post, now after deflecting the ball Claudio Bravo.

Back and forth match, with fast transitions, in which the ball roamed the areas with the two formations attacking with many men and therefore also with many spaces behind when possession of the ball was lost.

Already in the final phase of the first period, the locals managed to slow him down with longer possessions with which to control the situation, but also, very shortly before the break, they ratified their effectiveness against the opponent’s goal in another play from a corner kick, this time by being attentive inside the small area Ayoze Pérez to make it 2-0.

Little had been seen in the resumption of the game until after seven minutes San Comesaña He finished off a cross from the left of Fran García with a header that made it 2-1in a play that was protested by the Verdiblancos since the Mexican Andrés Guardado was lying on the grass, who had left in this period for the Portuguese William Carvalho, after suffering a collision with the Argentine Óscar Trejo.

It was Óscar Trejo himself who, after the hour of play, found himself at the far post of the match against the interests of his team, on this occasion the crossbar with Claudio Bravo beaten, but it It was a sign that Iraola’s formation was going for the tie.

Despite this, the game entered the final stretch with the 2-1 that Betis defended well against the insistence of Rayo to find the tie prize, but what happened was that in the prolongation, in a local counter with the visitors turned against the opposing area, Borja Iglesias made it 3-1 after a pass from Joaquín Sánchez, who played during extra time.