Real Betis’ season has been horrendous. The side is dead-last in the league, 9 points from safety, and to only add to the shock and disappointment, the drop from the previous season’s domestic success only makes the downward spiral more abrupt. Against all odds, however, it was Europa League that could have salvaged the season. The Europa League in which, contrary to the difficulties in Spain, Betis had marched all the way to the round of 16 and was up against fierce city rivals Sevilla.
The first leg, a 2-0 win away from home, left a wake of optimism behind it. The only way a horrendous league season could be made up for was European success, and it all looked good when the two sides walked on the pitch of Benito Villamarin on Thursday night.
The stadium wasn’t full – nowhere near as a matter of fact – but the roughly 38,000 people that had made their way to the stadium were supporting the white and green stripes loudly. They whistled at the visitors’ attempts, they groaned audibly when their team missed a chance. Unlike in La Liga, where things have looked hopeless for a long time, they dared to dream.
On the 20th minute, the crowd was silenced by José Antonio Reyes’s opener that lifted the visitors’ spirit. But although the early goal evoked the fear of the worst, Betis held on until late in the second half. After their goal, Sevilla didn’t get to threaten the hosts too many times. Betis still had it all in their hands. They even came painfully close to scoring themselves, only to be denied by the Sevilla keeper Beto. But it didn’t take long for the good momentum to go to waste.
With fifteen minutes to go, the Betis defense failed to cut Sevilla’s left-back Alberto Moreno’s inch-perfect cross in the box, and Carlos Bacca’s easy tap-in finish meant that the tie continued on to extra-time, before which Betis still gained the control of the match and managed to threaten Beto’s goal, but again, without results.
The extra-time was even. It was Sevilla who came closer to scoring, only to be denied by Antonio Adan’s double save in the 104th minute. As the two sides prepared for the penalties that were to decide the tie, Betis once more seemed to have the mental edge. Like so often in the decisive matches, a life-saving save can turn the momentum around and the goalkeeper’s efforts can install hope and belief in the team, even more so with a penalty shootout approaching. And it did.
Adan saved the first of Sevilla’s penalties, and while the three first Betis shooters confidentially placed their shots in the top corners of the net, it seemed as though nothing was standing their way. It seemed as though for a moment, the season’s difficulties were a thing of the past as a spot in the quarter finals loomed within touching distance. But once more, that hope was to collapse.
The bad-luck man was Alfred N’Diaye, who instead of blasting the ball in the top corner, opted for a shot towards the bottom corner. But it wasn’t to be. His shot came off from the inside of the post, only to bounce towards the sideline, and as Sevilla had remained only one goal behind and Ivan Rakitic scored the following shot, the tides had turned. Jose Nono stepped in to try to keep Betis in the tie, but his shot was pushed wide by Beto, and the Betis players were left to shake their heads in disappointment and disbelief while their visitors celebrated a spot in the quarter finals.
A timid hope turned back to what the spirit has been the whole season in La Liga. The dream of further European success crashed down in the most painful of ways, and as the side returns to league action against the second-place Atlético Madrid, the Benito Villamarin could lose the last bits of optimism left in the tank. After two coaches sacked and the club as a whole looking all but stable, it looks inevitable that the side will have to start from scratch – more precisely, from the Segunda Division – next season. Being so far behind, the side has very little in their own hands. And undoubtedly, the two months left of the season will be all but easy, with not much left to do but to pray for a miracle.
The first leg, a 2-0 win away from home, left a wake of optimism behind it. The only way a horrendous league season could be made up for was European success, and it all looked good when the two sides walked on the pitch of Benito Villamarin on Thursday night.
The stadium wasn’t full – nowhere near as a matter of fact – but the roughly 38,000 people that had made their way to the stadium were supporting the white and green stripes loudly. They whistled at the visitors’ attempts, they groaned audibly when their team missed a chance. Unlike in La Liga, where things have looked hopeless for a long time, they dared to dream.
On the 20th minute, the crowd was silenced by José Antonio Reyes’s opener that lifted the visitors’ spirit. But although the early goal evoked the fear of the worst, Betis held on until late in the second half. After their goal, Sevilla didn’t get to threaten the hosts too many times. Betis still had it all in their hands. They even came painfully close to scoring themselves, only to be denied by the Sevilla keeper Beto. But it didn’t take long for the good momentum to go to waste.
With fifteen minutes to go, the Betis defense failed to cut Sevilla’s left-back Alberto Moreno’s inch-perfect cross in the box, and Carlos Bacca’s easy tap-in finish meant that the tie continued on to extra-time, before which Betis still gained the control of the match and managed to threaten Beto’s goal, but again, without results.
The extra-time was even. It was Sevilla who came closer to scoring, only to be denied by Antonio Adan’s double save in the 104th minute. As the two sides prepared for the penalties that were to decide the tie, Betis once more seemed to have the mental edge. Like so often in the decisive matches, a life-saving save can turn the momentum around and the goalkeeper’s efforts can install hope and belief in the team, even more so with a penalty shootout approaching. And it did.
Adan saved the first of Sevilla’s penalties, and while the three first Betis shooters confidentially placed their shots in the top corners of the net, it seemed as though nothing was standing their way. It seemed as though for a moment, the season’s difficulties were a thing of the past as a spot in the quarter finals loomed within touching distance. But once more, that hope was to collapse.
The bad-luck man was Alfred N’Diaye, who instead of blasting the ball in the top corner, opted for a shot towards the bottom corner. But it wasn’t to be. His shot came off from the inside of the post, only to bounce towards the sideline, and as Sevilla had remained only one goal behind and Ivan Rakitic scored the following shot, the tides had turned. Jose Nono stepped in to try to keep Betis in the tie, but his shot was pushed wide by Beto, and the Betis players were left to shake their heads in disappointment and disbelief while their visitors celebrated a spot in the quarter finals.
A timid hope turned back to what the spirit has been the whole season in La Liga. The dream of further European success crashed down in the most painful of ways, and as the side returns to league action against the second-place Atlético Madrid, the Benito Villamarin could lose the last bits of optimism left in the tank. After two coaches sacked and the club as a whole looking all but stable, it looks inevitable that the side will have to start from scratch – more precisely, from the Segunda Division – next season. Being so far behind, the side has very little in their own hands. And undoubtedly, the two months left of the season will be all but easy, with not much left to do but to pray for a miracle.