BETIS – MALLORCA | Betis clings to the Champions

Canals is back. Fekir is back. And Betis football multiplied until they found their fourth victory in their last five League games and consolidated their place in the Champions League. The Spaniard turned out to be a hurricane for a Mallorca unable to control him, although the appearance of an imposing Muriqi invited a suspenseful ending that Pellegrini’s team knew how to manage effectively. Three points that catapult Betis to the heights of this League in which they now challenge Sevilla in a high-flying derby. Mallorca left Villamarín empty despite stating that it has sufficient arguments to save its place in the First Division. Two faces of a clash that lamented the worrying injury of Ruiz de Galarreta.

Pellegrini’s team approached the start of the clash as if there were ten minutes to go until the end. Carvalho, Canales and Fekir, absent from the Saint Petersburg eleven, reflected their freshness when taking charge of the game. At times, Mallorca seemed to minimize spaces as best it could while Muriqi threatened with his falls to the right side. Bartra anticipated, Guido covered risks and Fekir provoked them. For Salva Sevilla and Ruiz de Galarreta, the scene was hell. In the midst of a storm of intentions, the magic of Canales arose. The Spaniard first invented an inside pass that Juanmi could not take advantage of. Minutes later, he drew a similar one that did have the desired response in Álex Moreno’s head.

Mallorca wanted to put more intensity into their game and find Salva Sevilla, but he succumbed to strong local pressure. Dani Rodríguez did grab a good diagonal to find Muriqi from above, who executed a powerful shot that crashed into Rui Silva’s left post. The Kosovar warned the Green and White defense again with his permanent mobility in the area. Betis, meanwhile, paused the game to move the event to another stage. With his tricks always in high positions. With Kubo more concerned about Álex Moreno than damaging that lane with his quality. He did it halfway, but he did not worry Sergio Rico any more in the rest of the first half marked by that injury to Ruiz de Galarreta.

Luis García moved the bench to try to find more speed. Kang In and Amath entered the scene and the beat intensified. There were more helps and fewer holes. Those of Pellegrini exhibited a grayer version, less shiny, as if he also wanted to control its wear. And he paid dearly for it when, in the 75th minute, Jaume Costa launched a precise cross into the green and white area that Muriqi masterfully finished off, dodging Edgar’s presence and beating Rui Silva with an impeccable header. It was a punishment for the lack of green and white momentum. But this Betis has many lives. And he took eight minutes to respond to the demands of his fans. He pressed hard again. He forced Mallorca to close spaces again and pulled his left wing to damage. Alex Moreno almost did it. Tello did it later, who crossed into the area to find a shot from William Carvalho that collided with Battaglia’s arm. Willian José did not fail from the penalty spot to prop up a willful Mallorca that ended with Sergio Rico in the opposite area to look for some tables that did not arrive.