Real Madrid earned their first win of the new season, coming from behind to beat Real Betis 3-2, with two on field reviews going their way in the second half.
Line Ups
Real Betis came into this game after a perfect start under new manager Manuel Pellegrini: two wins from two, with no goals conceded. For those victories over Alavés and Valladolid, Pellegrini had selected the same starting XI. He was forced in to one change tonight: a knee problem meant goalkeeper Claudio Bravo was a late drop out from the squad, Joel Robles started in his place. In attack Pellegrini selected Antonio Sanabria in place of Borja Iglesias. The Betis line up was a 4-2-3-1 and boasted 39 year old club captain Joaquin Sánchez making his 555th appearance in Primera.
Zinedine Zidane made three changes from the XI that began at Real Sociedad a week ago, and altered his formation. Luka Modric, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo all dropped to the bench. Casemiro and Fede Valverde came into the midfield and in attack Luka Jovic was given his first start since January. Real Madrid played 4-4-2 with a diamond midfield: Martin Odegaard at the tip and Casemiro at the base.
The Game
Betis started well: moving the ball swiftly and managing to find Sergio Canales and Nabil Fekir in gaps in front of the Real defence. On four minutes Fekir had a shot blocked by Raphael Varane, and on seven minutes Sanabria’s downward header was brilliantly kept out by Thibaut Courtois.
However, on 14 minutes the visitors took the lead: Karim Benzema tormented Alex Moreno before teeing up Valverde who finished first time from close range at the near post.
The champions should have extended their lead twice through Sergio Ramos who dragged one shot wide before heading over the bar.
Pellegrini’s side were unbowed and began to enjoy longer spells of possession. Their double pivot of William Carvalho and Guido Rodriguez were snuffling out Real attacks, and in Canales and Fekir they had craft and guile. Each would provide one assist as the hosts turned the game on its head with two goals in two minutes. The first was a powerful Aissa Mandi header, the second: a low drive from Carvalho which beat Courtois at his near post. After 57 games without scoring for Betis, the Portuguese midfielder had now scored in consecutive matches.
Betis had won two and drawn one of their last three meetings with Real and ended the first half looking strong. On the stroke of half time Zidane brought on Modric to replace Toni Kroos who appeared to have a niggle.
Substitutions
Zidane didn’t wait long to make a key alternation. At half time he withdrew Odegaard and sent on Isco who’d been a key player for Pellegrini at Malaga between 2011 and 2013. The 28 year old provided more control and influence than the Norwegian, and Los Blancos began to take control of the contest.
Four minutes after the re-start a Dani Carvajal cross was turned into his own net by Barcelona loanee Emerson, and four minutes later Benzema rattled the cross bar. Real were now finding space behind the Betis full backs.
Pellegrini sent on the fresh legs of Cristian Tello for Joaquin, but Zidane’s side continued to enjoy the ascendancy. Jovic and Ramos went close before two VAR incidents went Real Madrid’s way.
VAR
On 68 minutes a Real counter attack saw Benzema release Jovic through the centre. After a good first tough the Serb seemed to have spurned his opportunity but VAR advised an on field review and Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea decided to award Real a free kick and send Emerson off. He’d made slight contact with Jovic outside the penalty area, but it’s didn’t seem a clear and obvious error and was not something that the referee had missed in real time.
With a one-man advantage Zidane’s side controlled possession but still hadn’t found a breakthrough. Zidane sent on Borja Mayoral for Jovic after Pellegrini had replaced Sanabria with right back Martin Montoya: changing to a 4-4-1 formation.
Then, on 82 minutes Mayoral had a half chance in the box. He was thwarted by Marc Bartra and after a lengthy delay de Burgos Bengoetxea conducted another on field review, this time awarding the visitors a penalty (punishment for a perceived handball by Bartra). Although there was contact between ball and hand, it seemed that a push by Mayoral on Bartra had caused that contact. Again this was a subjective moment, again it went Real’s way.
Ramos stepped up and calmly chipped the ball down the centre to put Real 3-2 up. There were still eight minutes to play, and eight more of added time but Betis were unable to trouble Courtois in goal. They fell to their first defeat of the season, with Zidane’s team comfortable in the closing stages.
Conclusions
For periods of the first half Betis dominated with slick passing, a high defensive line and their double midfield pivot. Canales and Fekir are particularly important players offensively, but were unable to maintain their influence in the second half.
Real Madrid looked vulnerably defensively in the first half but appeared impenetrable after half time. The introduction of Isco helped them retain possession and dictate the rhythm of the game. In 18 minutes (admittedly against ten men) Mayoral seemed to show more promise than Jovic had done in 72 minutes. It’s difficult to fully assess the diamond midfield at this stage. What can be said is that once again Real were reliant on two things that were prevalent last season: Casemiro’s customary brilliance and subjective arbitration calls going their way.
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