Real Betis 2-1 Real Madrid: Los Blancos picking opportunity to regain leadership at the top of LaLiga while former Barcelona man Cristian Tello strikes to secure surprise win for Real Betis
- Real Madrid missed the opportunity to take the lead on Sunday at the top of La Liga
- Real Betis defender Sidnei led the hosts with a stunning attack
- He went from hero to zero moments later after he had put Marcelo in his box
- Benzema stepped up and was not mistaken when he stroked a clinical sentence
- Former Barcelona man Cristian Tello made a shock win with just ten minutes to go
Former Barcelona winger Cristian Tello made sure that his old team stayed at the top of LaLiga by scoring the goal that Real Madrid beat 2-1 on Sunday-evening.
With 82 minutes on the clock and the match evenly balanced at 1-1, a loose pass from Karim Benzema brought Real Madrid into trouble. Andre Guardado drove to the ball before Sergio Ramos, who had gambled everything to accept the challenge and then come empty.
Guardado released Tello and the second-half substitute ran out to the edge of the area before it was fired past Thibaut Courtois.
Real Madrid took their chance to regain their LaLiga lead, while Real Betis achieved a shock win
Former Barcelona man Cristian Tello beat the all-important winner for the home team
Just before the break, Karim Benzema turned away from the spot to level the scores on Real Betis
Benzema makes its mark in the celebration after having made right for the visitors on Sunday evening
Betis defender Sidnei had given the hosts a surprising lead with a stunning attack from a distance
Moments later, the Betis defender became the villain when he got Marcelo in his box
Barcelona gave Tello in 2014 to lend him out and eventually sell him. The winger from the Netherlands had shown promising results, but furiously made Lionel Messi with a selfish impact in the final third. There are now no more complaints from Barcelona about his determination for the goal.
Real Madrid desperately tried to return to the game, but Betis clung and Zinedine Zidane’s team lost the lead to Barça just seven days after defeating them in the Clasico.
Real Madrid had slowly started shooting Vinicius just past the nearby post when a pass to Toni Kroos might have been the better option.
Betis stepped in, but the nerves of entering the game hovered above the relegation zone. Loren Moron kicked his teammate Andres Guardado in the stomach, while both went for the same ball and defender Marc Bartra moved forward three meters after a Militao clearance went straight to him.
At minute 37, Betis nearly took the lead, as Nabil Fekir fired a shot from the pass of Sergio Canales, but Courtois pushed it in half.
The Real Madrid goalie couldn’t do anything about what came next. Fekir collided with Ramos and when everyone stopped to see if the referee would point to the spot, the loose ball fell to Sidnei and sent a missile past Courtois into the roof. It was his first of the season, no wonder he was on top of the billboard behind the goal as if he had just received the Betis title.
But two minutes after injury time, Real Madrid was back in the game and it was about the same man, this time not for better but for worse.
Nabil Fekir and Casemiro battle it out in midfield during the LaLiga confrontation on Sunday evening
Madrid captain Sergio Ramos watches while Betis winger Joaquin looks forward
Benzema tries to free himself from Marc Batra and Sergio Canales and to carry out an attack
After putting his foot through the ball to lead his team, Sidnei put his foot through Marcelo in his own penalty area. The Brazilian full-back flew into the air and after referee Jose Luis Gonzalez had pointed to the spot that Benzema scored to make it 1-1.
Ten minutes in the second half so almost took the lead again. A sweeping movement from one end of the field to the other with brilliant passes from Fekir and Canales brought Joaquin to the area.
He went around Courtois, but with the option to shoot or try to squeeze for Canales he hit a cross-shot that was released by Luka Modric scrambling to save on the line.
Joaquin walked around Courtois but wasted a chance to put his side in front in the second half
Benzema watches in disbelief while his match does not defeat Real Betis in their LaLiga fight
Madrid did not respond until Zidane Ferland brought in Mendy and Mariano. The latter’s energy put Betis on the back foot and when Luka Modric’s shot was hit by Joel, the ball came back to Mendy and his shot hit the crossbar.
It was still Betis who bore the greatest threat. Fekir bamboed Militao halfway through and when the attack on Guardado started, his volley just passed.
Vinicius then stuck the ball through Emerson’s legs and shot around him. His pace and power brought him to the byline and he showed the balance to choose Mariano, but the film of the substitute did not come out and the opportunity had disappeared.
The result of Sunday evening leaves Zinedine Zidane in second place behind arch rivals Barcelona
Ultimately it was the Betis sub that would have the final say. “If you don’t do what you have been training all week during the game,” this is what happens, “Ramos complained.
“We must continue to win from here and hope that Barcelona slips away. We were not rushed last week [when we won the Clasico] so we won’t do this.
“But it’s a reasonable result and we just have to be self-critical and go again.”
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