I have to admit that when I wrote a few hours ago that I expected tonight's game to be "little more than an exhibition", I didn't expect that it would be the team in green and white giving the damn thing. But so it proved. On a wonderfully exciting night, which felt like a big verdiblanco party from well before kick-off, Jorge Molina scored a sharp goal from a Salva Sevilla free-kick after 90 seconds, then raced on to an Ezequiel pass to put Betis two-up after seven minutes and could well have had a hat-trick before a quarter of an hour had passed, if a Gerard Piqué tackle hadn't arrived in the nick of time. Eventually Barcelona were grateful for a valuable away goal - I can hardly believe I'm typing this - from Leo Messi, especially as Arzu scored again for Betis shortly before the break.
Nor was the 3-1 scoreline unfairly flattering. In the first half at least, Real Betis of the Segunda division plain looked a better team than the runaway leaders of the Primera (who rested Villa and Iniesta, but still put out a team of internationals). They posed more of a threat upfront, they worked harder in midfield and they defended quite brilliantly. The Estadio Benito Villamarín could hardly believe what it was seeing.
The more evenly balanced second-half was slighty boring by comparison, but we still had the fun of seeing The Best Player In The World miss a penalty, and an exhilarating Betis move which ended with Nacho smacking a shot against the wordwork. All the while, upwards of 35,000 Béticos sung and clapped and bounced and generally celebrated the fact that, after five years of decline, their club is one the way back - in every possible respect.
It's 1.30am here now, so let's leave it at that for now. I hope you had fun watching, wherever you were.
Betis: Casto; Isidoro, Roversio, Belenguer, Nacho; Iriney (Cañas, min. 61), Arzu, Salva Sevilla; Ezequiel (Fernandoo Vega, min. 64), Jonathan Pereira and Jorge Molina (Israel, min. 77).
Goals: 1-0: Jorge Molina, min. 1. 2-0: Jorge Molina, min. 8. 2-1: Messi, min. 37. 3-1: Arzu, min. 45.
Proud day. Thanks for the updates. I was at work all day, but kept checking here (and As.com) to see what was going on. In recent memory, this is a nice sign of what potential "we" have. (Edu saving us a few years ago was nice, but that was saving us from relegation.) Today's a good day. !Manque gane!
Posted by: Kent | Thursday, 20 January 2011 at 01:26 AM
What a game! Pereira looked superb, he was all over the place, just as he is when I play Betis in Fifa :)
Posted by: Bill Mill | Thursday, 20 January 2011 at 02:57 AM
Couldn't get ESPN360 on computer at work but listened live on RNE on my IPhone and what a night or day (depending on where one is at)for us Beticos as Er Glorioso demonstrated that they were not a fluke last week in Barca and had they bagged a couple of goals last week in the Nou Camp as they should have, todays second half would have been quite entertaining! 2-0 before the 8 minute mark against this Barca team was unheard of and I believe that Guardiola had previously only lost one game by 2 goals as coach of Barca! As mentioned in your post this was the coming out party that the Betis faithful deserved so much for putting up with Lolo's BS these years rotting in the lower third of the Liga table and in Segunda. Er Glorioso showed all of Spain that they are ready for the prime time of Primera with a coach of our own and players who did not have the pedigree of Primera stamped on their soccer cards!
More importantly if I was a Sevilla supporter I would pay close attention as their team continues to slide down the table in Primera to mediocrity and these two teams more then likely will cross paths next season in the Liga and the Palanganas may not like the outcome!
The announcers on RNE could not say enough about the Betis players and more importantly about the fans, you could hear the Supporters Gol Sur and the rest of the fans cheering, singing and chanting on their team. The Xavi Xavi chants as he left the pitch show that the fans are in a class of their own.
Don't know what the final taquilla numbers are but expect that money to be used to pay off creditors. One only wonders how many fans would have been at the Villamarin if this was the first leg or Er Gloriso would have lost last week by 2-3 goals instead of 5?
Overall a great night to be a Betis supporter, as even my son who saw the game online at school for once had something to be proud of about his Real Betis Balompie!
Viva Er Beti Manque Pierda y Ese Beti Oe!!
Posted by: Er Pichi | Thursday, 20 January 2011 at 04:13 AM
I'm really looking forward to seeing this team in action.
All the talk about the players that Barcelona rested but no mention here in Ireland of the fact that Benat, Emana, Roque, Lopes and Castro were all rested/unavailable and the reserve keeper Casto took up position between the posts.
Pepe Mel has put a squad together that is good enough to make Europe next year provided administration allows him to keep the squad together. As Gerry Armstrong opined on Sky - "A great mixture of youth and experience".
Belenguer and Arzu are leaders of leaders!
Posted by: Don Patricio | Thursday, 20 January 2011 at 11:00 AM
We just outplayed the best team in the world.
Posted by: vermaelen5 | Friday, 21 January 2011 at 03:07 PM