BETIS – EINTRACHT | Betis dodges a debacle

Betis avoided total disaster against an Eintracht that prevailed in all facets over Benito Villamarín but left the Verdiblancos alive for the second leg. The defeat reflected infinite shortcomings in a team without strength and with errors behind that gave their rival a handful of options to have sentenced this unbalanced battle. Bravo, who missed the first goal, saved a penalty in the second half to lengthen the green and white hope of turning this 1-2 around despite the fact that their football arguments were only sustained by Fekir. The Frenchman’s goal keeps alive a team that cries out for more oxygen at the key moment of the course. Eintracht was more intense, more vertical and more ambitious.

No one hid their intentions in the beginning. Eintracht tightened their pressure and their intention not to give the Verdiblancos air. Pellegrini’s men signed up to the challenge without thinking if their forces would last until the end. Canales soon found space against a long shot from Claudio Bravo but was unable to shoot hard against Trapp. That occasion was a mirage: the German team took the controls, controlling Betis’ ball exits well. Fekir did not find the way to command. Nor Canales, lost between centrals and far from the ball exit. In the midst of an exchange of intentions, Kostic appeared. He received a ball from Sow on the left side, faked Sabaly and threw a remote-controlled ball to the top corner. of a lost Bravo. Maybe it was a failed center. Enough for Glasner’s set to take advantage of Heliopolis.

Betis wanted more ball. He pulled momentum and sighed for his football to appear. But Eintracht knew how to minimize it and even threaten their spaces. It was Fekir time. Until the edge of the half hour he had not left his seal and Canales found him in space. There the French is lethal. He cut backs earlier, stretched out his left foot and placed the ball in just the right spot so Trapp couldn’t dream of reaching it. The Villamarín exploded. But the allergy was short. Edgar missed in a ball exit, Sow anticipated, Lindstrom penetrated and gave a back pass to Kamada for 1-2.

Pellegrin’s team continued to be blurred after the break. He had a hard time dodging every pressure from Eintracht. Football was missing, but also strength. And the back and forth did not stop to the satisfaction of an Eintracht delivered to the risk. A questionable hand by Aitor Ruibal in the area led to a penalty that Bravo saved from Santos Borré. It was the reset of madness. Canales ran into Ndicka as he was about to test Trapp and Kostic had the third at his feet but his left foot was not so accurate this time. Santos Borré ran into Bravo again while Pellegrini threw Joaquín onto the grass to find other ways of reacting.

But Betis looked more at their area than at the rival. The spaces multiplied and both Kamada and Kostic became a nightmare for the Betis defense, unable to stop Eintracht’s chances. Miranda and Tello looked for a glimpse of freshness in Betis’ left wing, but the lack of ideas was already immense. No space races. Not even the appearance of Joaquín. There was no mobility or intentions. Heliopolis waited more. Also Pellegrino. But only Fekir tried it personally. And that was not enough. Without energy, tired, Betis said goodbye between doubts and under the feeling that the narrow defeat was the most positive thing of the afternoon in Heliopolis. In a week, Frankfurt will measure if this Betis is capable of dodging its fatigue and holding on to this Europa League.