Sabadell-Real Betis 2-3

[Verdiblanco de Holanda]

It finished 2-3, so the first three points of the season are in the bag. Betis, apparently playing nicely without exactly dazzling, were two up at half-time through goals from Cejudo and Matilla (a beauty), and added a third with 12 minutes to go through Rubén. Two worryingly soft goals in the last five minutes gave Sabadell a glimmer of hope, but most pundits seem to agree the right team won, with the central midfield pairing of Lolo Reyes and Xavi Torres earning most plaudits.
The real stars, though, were the 3,000-plus Béticos in a crowd of 8,000 - a following that's pretty much unparalleled in Spanish football. It's not really true to call it a travelling army, as most will have been Catalonia-based, but the extraordinary loyalty of the Betis fans still promises to be one of the stories of the season.

[Verdiblanco de Holanda]

Re: Sabadell-Real Betis 2-3

The green-and-whites triumph over Sabadell (2-3)

Real Betis came under a lot of pressure in the last few minutes, but were victorious in the end

The season facing Real Betis Balompié will undoubtedly be an interesting one. There will be one clear objective in the minds of the squad, the Club and the fans, and that will make this season particularly demanding. We have to be clear about this. Real Betis has an obligation to fulfill which makes them the team to beat. Miguel Olmo, the CE Sabadell coach, referred to that fact in the press conference before the start of the match. And Betis will have to deal with that added difficulty every week. That was the reality that the green-and-whites had to face in their league debut at the Nova Creu Alta Stadium. Sabadell came out with the intention of taking control of the match and they did so by displaying a more agressive attitude. Velázquez's lads took about ten minutes before they really settled into the game. Bit by bit they started to get comfortable, demonstrating good precision in their passes and creating impressive plays. But it was the home team who first looked as though they might score. Aridai took a shot at goal from a corner kick taken on Adán's right side, but the ball went over the crossbar. Sabadell kept control of the ball and Javi Hervás tried to connect with Collantes with a pass to the inside but Adán came out of the goal and intercepted it. Betis weren't suffering too much, but they weren't too comfortable either.

All that changed though in minute 18. Rubén Castro started a counter attack from the left wing, but Molina was blocked by an opponent and was unable to finish it off. But it was the action that Betis needed. The ball went to the away team and Matilla and Cejudo dominated. Two minutes later and the Heliópolis Academy had their first goal. Álex took a direct free kick, De Navas did not stop it completely, Rubén couldn't score from the rebound, but Cejudo was successful on the second attempt. First goal of the season, first goal to Cejudo and 3,000 Betis fans went wild. From that point onwards, the green-and-whites looked happier and more determined. On the counter-attack again and as before with the help of Rubén, four minutes later Betis had their second goal. The player from the Canary Islands assisted Matilla, after playing the ball down his wing, and the attacking midfielder took a terrific shot from the corner of the area that saw the ball in the back of the net.

The play wasn't exactly as fluid as they would have liked but the style and quality had put Betis ahead by half time.

The first five minutes of the second half were very entertaining. Molina threatened to score the third, but was thwarted in a one on one. Afterwards, a goal from Tamudo was declared offside by Trujillo Suarez. And lastly, Molina from inside the area failed to connect with Rubén to increase the lead. From then on, Sabadell became more dominant than Betis and Velázquez brought N'Diaye on to replace Cejudo. Then a few minutes later, Rennella came on to substitute Molina. The match entered it's most wild phase, but it was the away team who came out on top although they were unable to score. Neither Álex, nor Matilla, nor Rubén could put the ball in the net, but it would happen soon enough. Rubén had been trying all through the match and in minute 32, with a bit of luck on his side, he was successful. The forward shot from up front and after bouncing off a defender the ball found the back of the net. The third goal was in the bag and Betis could afford to relax a little. But Betis relaxed a little too much and in minutes 42 and 44, Sabadell closed the gap and put the away team under pressure, but in the end they hung on to win their first victory of the season with all the importance attached to it.



CE. Sabadell: De Navas; Agus (Gato, m. 64), Kiko Olivas, Crespí, Víctor (Riau, m. 76); Eguaras, Sotan, Javi Hervás; Collantes, Aridai (Edgar Hernández, m. 72) and Tamudo.

Real Betis: Adán; Molinero, Perquis, Jordi Figueras, Álex Martínez; Xavi Torres, Lolo Reyes; Cejudo (Ndiaye, m. 66), Matilla (Dani Pacheco, m. 81), Rubén Castro; and Jorge Molina (Rennella, m. 68).

Goles: 0-1, m. 21: Cejudo. 0-2, m. 33: Matilla. 0-3, m. 78: Rennella. 1-3, m. 88: Edgar Hernández. 2-3, m. 89: Tamudo.

Referee: Trujillo Suárez (Comité Tinerfeño). Warnings for Sabadell to Sotan and Eguaras, and for Betis to Xavi Torres and Perquis

Statistics: 8.074 spectators in the Nova Creu Alta Stadium. More than 3,000 Betis fans were there to support their team. Juan García Soriano, ex-player for Sabadell and Real Betis, was honoured prior to the start of the match.

[Real Balompié]

Re: Sabadell-Real Betis 2-3

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[Verdiblanco de Holanda]

Re: Sabadell-Real Betis 2-3

Thanks for the resumen