Real Betis of the Chilean Manuel Pellegrini continues with his winning dynamic in LaLigadespite the fact that he is still unable to complete his squad with the new signings, and is in avant-garde positions by adding six points after his victory against Elche and this Saturday against the Mallorca of the Mexican Javier Aguirre, whom he defeated 1-2 with penalty goals materialized by Borja Iglesias.
Aguirre (63 years old) and Pellegrini (68) have gray hairs with proven experience in world football and faced each other in an intense duel from the first minute that resulted in 15 yellow cards, 7 for the locals and 8 for the visitors.
Betis he appeared on the island diminished by the casualties and the signings that he cannot register; Mallorca did it with a squad with only two new faces (Rajkovic and Copete) and lows and highs yet to be determined.
The penalty conditioned the development of the first part. Battaglia cut a ball that Juanmi was driving into the area with his forearm and, although González Fuertes did not initially appreciate the maximum foul, he ended up conceding it after being notified by the VAR.
Mallorca had started well, but after the advantage of the verdiblancos -today with a blue striped shirt- they had to improvise on the fly against a Betis that does not seem to be affected by the streak of injuries or the bureaucratic obstacles to register the new signings.
The vermilion ran into the imponderables in the first part. If the idol of the fans, the Kosovar Vedat Muriqi does not receive balls in conditions, your contribution is minimal; if the line of five defenders with three central defenders is overcome more easily than expected, the hole is huge, even for a goalkeeper of the stature of Serbian international Predrag Rajkovic.
Pellegrino’s team was calm enough to withstand the intensity of the localspushed by their audience, a part of them, watching the game about 7 meters from the field of play after the removal of the athletics track.
Betis not only withstood the local intensity, but also approached dangerously. He didn’t take advantage of his chances he paid for it after the restart (min. 56) with the goal from Muriqi. after a measured cross from South Korea’s Kang In Lee.
The Kosovar covered one eye to celebrate the goal with the fans, alluding to the nickname “Pirate” with which he is known on the island.
The joy was short-lived in the Majorcan fiefdom. Another unfortunate action by Battaglia when committing a second penalty, this time much more debatable by bringing down Fekir, forced Mallorca to make a tremendous effort to return the score to the same level.
Borja Iglesias scored again from eleven meters and his bracetogether with the goal against Getafe, provisionally makes him the top scorer in the League.
The vermilion came close to equalizing on several occasions, the clearest of which was a direct shot that the South Korean Kang In Lee crashed into the crossbar; the rebound was caught by Jaume Costa, but his shot was cleared by Rui Silva.
The final stretch was franticbut Betis knew how to maintain its advantage against a Mallorca excessively punished by two absurd penalties.
Datasheet
1 – Mallorca: Rajkovic; Maffeo, Copete, Raillo, Valjent, Coast; Battaglia (Babá, 79 mins), Grenier (Antonio Sanchez, 63 mins), Dani Rodriguez (Abdon Prats, 79 mins); Kang in Lee and Muriqi.
2 – Real Betis: Rui Silva; Aitor Ruibal, Edgar Pezella, Edgar, Alex Moreno; Guido Rodriguez, William Carvalho (Moron, min. 89); Rodri (Gonzalez, min. 64), Fekir, John; Borja Iglesias (Akoukou, 79 minutes)
Goals: 0-1, min. 8: Borja Iglesias, de penalty; 1-1, min. 46: Muriqi; 1-2, min. 71: Borja Iglesias.
Related news
Referee: Pablo González Fuertes (Asturian Committee). He showed yellow cards to Grenier (min. 48), Dani Rodríguez (min. 65), Battaglia (min. 69), Raillo (min. 69), Maffeo (min. 83); Carvalho (min. 1), Juanmi (min. 36), Fekir (min. 65), Pezella (min. 70), Rober (min. 82), Rodríguez (min. 83), Rui Silva (min. 85) , from Betis.
Incidences: Match corresponding to the second day of LaLiga played at the Visit Mallorca Estadi in front of 15,579 spectators, some 500 of them Betis fans. The Balearic club premiered the new stands of the East Grandstand that brings the public closer to the pitch after the elimination of the athletics track. Steve Kerr, former player, coach of the Golden State Warriors, current NBA champion, and of the United States national team, witnessed the game in the Son Moix box at the invitation of the president of the Balearic club, Andy Kohlberg.