BETIS-RAYO | Joaquín guides the Betis party

Betis got rid of Rayo Vallecano after a duel of nerves to chase their fifth Copa del Rey final. He did it with Joaquín, its captain, as an unexpected guest at a party who dodged an extension in a dizzying discount. The Porto native got rid of Baby, the player who had silenced Villamarín minutes before with a great goal from a distance, invented a pass into space for Canales to arrive and Borja Iglesias took advantage of Fran García’s failed clearance. That’s where Heliopolis exploded. To the rhythm of the captain of him. Surrendered to the 40-year-old footballer who wants to continue writing history chapters on the grass. Betis meets on April 23 with Valencia in La Cartuja after a nervous breakdown against Rayo who gave his life for that long-awaited piece of glory.

Lightning came out more fearful. Or perhaps his intentional intensity ran into the greater verticality of Betis. Canales and Fekir tried to ally themselves early, Sabaly gained weight on the right flank and Juanmi threatened Luca after ten minutes with a good header. Betis wanted to accelerate. He did it when William Carvalho managed to take command of a medullary in which Pathé Ciss was the unexpected guest placed in the fray by Iraola so that the madness would not be so much. Trejo also appeared in that exchange of intentions. The nerves do not go with him. He drew spaces for Álvaro García and Betis suffered there, who feared without the ball and yearned to have it.

There was more discomfort than certainties in Villamarín. Pellegrini couldn’t find Juanmi. Iraola was waiting for Isi. But the first time fell asleep in insignificance. Between races by Álex Moreno and coverage by Guido at Betis. Between robberies by Óscar Valentín and sighs by Trejo in Rayo. More fears than football. More nerves than real dares.

The resumption presented a context of continuity. Carvalho wanted more. He advanced meters and looked for lines that would damage the comfort of the Lightning. But his appearances near the area were not definitive. Pellegrini did not like that feeling of playing at nothing. But Iraola was the first to move pieces from the board. Comesaña appeared so that Rayo had more command power and Nteka took over from an unlucky Isi. He squeezed Villamarín more than Betis. With more than 50,000 restless souls, the Betis fans asked their supporters for more. Carvalho returned to look for Luca’s goal after another infinite play of association and Rayo hoped to hunt down his space, the one that could give him wings towards his desire for the end.

The clock marked an end of more imbalance. Lightning was obliged to do so. A Betis signed up for that party eager to shore up his lead. And he found a thousand spaces for Pellegrini’s team, who wasted kickbacks at the feet of Fekir, Juanmi and Canales while Iraola went back to the changes to vary the scene. And he succeeded. Baby entered the fray and found a distant free kick after an unnecessary elbow by Willian José. His shot was a missile that Claudio Bravo did not know how to hit. Iraola smiled. Heliopolis sank.

The closure had saved more. Pellegrini opted for Joaquín and Rayo gave up meters waiting for an extension that seemed sung. It was then that the player from Porto received a measured pass from Claudio Bravo, discarded Baby, drew a magical pass into space and Canales managed to beat Luca before Borja Iglesias took advantage of a forced refusal. The glory belonged to Betis. Also Joaquin. Desperation trapped the Ray until the final whistle closed a green-and-white battle. Pellegrini has his Cup final. Iraola is at the gates of a milestone for his Rayo. There were merits distributed in a Villamarín that celebrated like never before the classification of its team to its fifth Copa del Rey final.