Villarreal won 2-3 at Betis’s field and, with a comeback after reaching the break with a 2-1 disadvantage, they thus redeemed themselves from their disaster in the Europa League, after being beaten on Thursday in the first leg of the Europa League round of 16 against Olympique de Marseille (4 -0), and stopped the Betis in their European aspirations.
The Argentine Guido Rodríguez put the hosts ahead at half an hour, Alex Baena equalized ten minutes later and the Brazilian Willian José broke the tie in added time of the first half, although in the second, in which the Betic Chimy Ávila and the visitor Alberto Moreno were sent off after a confrontation between the two, Villarreal made it 2-2 with an own goal from the Greek Sokratis (m.48 ) and then the Norwegian Alexander Sorloth signed the victory (m.67).
Two teams characterized by touch football were measured, but in a different situation, since Betis is in full fight for the European places, seventh after the triumph of Real Sociedad in Granada and somewhat removed from the positions of ‘Champions‘ by not failing the Athletic Club, and Villarreal in a no-man’s zone and with its future in the Europa League very compromised after the debacle in Marseille.
In the Green and Whites, the Chilean Manuel Pellegrini made five changes: Miranda for the injured Bellerín, the Greek central defender Sokratis for the suspended Pezzella, the Portuguese William Carvalho and the Argentine Guido Rodríguez – who already played against Atlético and was a starter again three months later of his injury – by Marc Roca and the American Cardoso, and the French Nabil Fekir, who played with a protective mask after undergoing surgery for a broken nose, by Rodri.
His counterpart at Villarreal, Marcelino García Toral, revolutionized eleven with six changes after the 4-0 that Olympique inflicted on them. The Danish Filip Jörgensen returned to goal for Pepe Reina; Kiko Femenía and Alberto Moreno on the sides, instead of the Colombian Mosquera and Jorge Cuenca; the middle Dani Parejo by the Frenchman Coquelin; Burkinabé winger Bertrand Traoré for Ilias Akhomach; and the Norwegian Alexander Sorloth for the Portuguese Gonçalo Guedes.
The duel began with a lot of rhythm, with Betis very vertical every time they stole the ball and Villarreal trying to impose themselves in the midfield and control the ball, but without clear chances in either area.
However, the Betis did not rush, they were patient and insisted on their game and looking for quick attacks, while the yellow team wanted to come out with the ball played from behind and also applied high pressure that did not work, resulting in The match remained very even and balanced, disputed and competitive, but insubstantial in the areas.
He Betiswith Carvalho and Guido in the engine room and Fornals and Fekir very active, was superior to Villarreal in this first half, He gave it more bite and ambition and, in this way, collected the award after half an hour when the Argentine international midfielder scored, making a foreshortening, after a lateral foul that the Portuguese midfielder headed in the area.
The joy for the team from the Heliópolis neighborhood did not last long, because ten minutes later, in the 40th minute, Álex Baena took advantage of an indecision from the local defense and a drop shot by the Norwegian Alexander Sorlothin a one-on-one with Rui Silva after a magnificent through ball from Gerard Moreno, to make it 1-1 into an empty goal.
When it seemed that the break was going to be tied, after an intense first half, with alternatives and few opportunities, William Carvalho, with great quality, opened the game on the right with a long shot that Fornals, very incisive in everything, the match, he saved on the baseline with a cross into the area that he finished off, perfect, Willian José to make it 2-1.
The goal, which came in added time of the first half, was validated by the Canarian referee Alejandro Hernández Hernández, after the VAR indicated that the ball had not completely left the field.
At the restart, Villarreal, wounded in its pride, seemed to come out with one more march, They pressed and managed to tie again, after 3 minutes, in an action of bad fortune for Betis, since Gerard Moreno, who had a great game, made a cut on the right wing and sent a great cross into the area that Sokratis deflected and sneaked into his goal.
Then Baena tried, but Rui Silva cleared well, although the two clearest chances were for the Betis in a shot by Chimy Ávila that Bailly neutralized, in the 59th, and above all in a shot by Fekir, very close to the goal, at Jörgensen responded with a save in the 66th minute, which gave rise to a counterattack that was fatal for the Andalusian team.
The yellows’ quick start, in the 67th minute, ended in a brilliant pass from Gerard Moreno to the left for Sorloth, who He shot Rui Silva with his left foot to make it 2-3. Two minutes later, the visitor Alberto Moreno and the local Chimy Avila got into a dispute and both ended up sent off for a double yellow, in the 70th minute, which perhaps hurt Betis more in their vain attempts to tie.
Ayoze Pérez could have done it, already with the carousel of changes in both teams, but his cross shot was cleared by Bailly and, from there, Villarreal managed its advantage well to take the victory despite the disappointment of the green and white.
2024-03-10 22:31:41
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