Sergio Canales is a Champions League player and for being one and playing that competition next year he will fight as much as he can. The Cantabrian led a Betis team that showed in the Mestalla that they are not throwing in the towel for getting into the top four. It is difficult for her, a lot, she may even stop dreaming about her soon, because if Atleti wins in Elche, goodbye. But he has all the credit for his fifth place, which he has almost tied thanks to the goals from William José, Canales and Borja Iglesias, and more with the Copa del Rey in his showcase, the one he beat Valencia, who couldn’t beat them at home either.
The fans of Mestalla do not attend to heartbreaks and that the joys that his Valencia gives him lately are inversely proportional to his fidelity. As much as they are going to be another year without seeing Europe, the fifth of eight of the Lim era, despite their obsession with the property and even as much as the rival who visited them reminded them of what could have been and it was not for a penalty in La Cartuja, despite all this, the parish was there on a Tuesday afternoon. By the thousands and with good spirits, as Hugo Duro felt, the only one who tested Rui Silva in the first half, when his signing was announced over the loudspeaker during the warm-up, or as Mamardashvili noticed every time he had to intervene. They give name to the few good things that have happened to Valencia in this League, which added its sixth defeat in Mestalla, one more than victories its people have seen.
Betis, in turn, confirmed that they are respected by Valencia and are recognized as champions. Neither a reproach to the Betis team nor a bad song for having cut down the palm trees of the oasis that was the Cup for Valencia from eleven meters. Even Joaquín, who lifted the trophy, was received as always, with applause.
Surely it influenced that there was little or nothing at stake; Only Betis had something to defend, the fifth place it occupies today, and for which to dream, although the staging of Pellegrini’s team was slow. With Rodri as the main novelty, Guido, Canales, Álex Moreno and Fekir led Betis and the game for most of the minutes, although more through inertia than solvency. In fact, his best chance until the break did not come in transition but from a set piece, a free kick that he took Canales and repelled Mamardashvili.
Bordalás took advantage of the afternoon to continue with the formation of Jesus Vazquez, who aims to be another side with a stamp like Jordi Alba, Bernat or Gayà, and to give minutes to another youth squad with manners: Yellu. The departure of the midfielder after the break led to a phase of local dominance, in which Soler and Duro returned to give news of Rui Silva. However, it was then that Betis hit.
A ball that Rodri recovered (or Ilaix lost, depending on how you look at it), reached Canales who assisted William José that only those who see football in three dimensions can do. And let’s not detract from the execution of the Spanish-Brazilian, that with a cut he took Alderete out of the way and left Mamardashvili sitting.
Valencia reacted out of sheer honor, by the comings and goings of Jesús Vázquez and by the entrance of Guedes. But the goal was small. And since his arrivals were of no use to the black and whites, Betis, on the counterattack, sentenced. Who did it? Who else but Canales, of course, a differential footballer and who out of respect did not celebrate it. And there was still room for a third, a great goal from tiralineas, which added to his private account Borgia Iglesias.