Betis, from suffering to final ecstasy

The Real Betis got into the fifth final of Cup of its history after a long-suffering draw (1-1) against a very brave Vallecano Raya goal that came from the boots of the eternal captain Joaquin and ended up materializing between Channels and Borja Iglesias. Just ten minutes before Baby froze the hearts of the more than 50,000 Betis present at the Benito Villamarin with a long-distance surface-to-air missile that shattered the goal nets of Claudio Bravo and endowed the final stages of the game with intense emotion.

The Lightning was not intimidated in the first part by the impressive atmosphere that was lived in the Benito Villamarín, where those of Pilgrims they jumped onto the field somewhat gripped by the responsibility of knowing they were favorites, after 1-2 in the first leg, to get into the final.

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A couple of shares Juanmiwho after five minutes hit a good header that Luca Zidane saved in two stages and then wasted a clear superiority in attack, by passing to the right to Canales instead of to the left to Fekir, who was totally alone, were the best offensive actions of the locals in the first 45′, along with a run to the bottom line of Alex Moreno (36′) that Zidane again he avoided a goal pass with a successful intervention.

The rayistas hardly disturbed Claudio Bravo in the first period, but because the three times they shot (they took five corners, by one of the locals and a shot on goal) they did it in a deflected way, but the divided balls won by Sergio Guardiolamainly against Edgar, and the good movements of Álvaro García and Isi on the wings created unease among the local fans, who did not stop cheering for their own but did not see their team at all comfortable or fluid on the pitch, where the ball only circulated with some sense when it passed through the feet of William Carvalhowith Fekir and Channels very subdued, as was Willian José, who let the only good one he had escaped by allowing the ball to be snatched from behind (23′) when he stepped into the area with an advantage.

The second part had a higher level of football than the first, as Iraola soon burned his ships and the Betis found holes through which to plant themselves several times under the noses of Zidane. The most talented men Pilgrimshowever, they were not at all fine in the definition, William Carvalho, Fekir and Juanmi missing good chances against the rival goal, which the recently entered Baby did not do in the first one he had, a foul from 30 meters that entered like a shell in the Betic goal.

Then it was the Betis who risked everything for everything, drawing his footballers from weakness with the support of his unconditional fans to try to balance forces as soon as possible. Balliu (82′) took a shot from under the sticks Fekir with Zidane beaten, but it wasn’t until 91′ when the whole stadium exploded with joy, controlling Joaquin masterfully a ball dropped from the sky and enable Channels so that he broke lines for the first time that night and sent a cross into the net that Borja Iglesias finished clinching to convert the Benito Villamarin in a madhouse. Seventeen years later Betis will be in another final and there were plenty of reasons to celebrate.