Real Betis 1-2 Granada CF

Today's lesson? That you can't turn up at half-time and still expect to win football matches. It really is as simple as that.

These midday kick-offs have a tendency to be a little soporific on and off the pitch, but Betis really outdid themselves today. Their first half performance couldn't have been more sleepy if the team had taken to the pitch wearing nightshirts and clutching their teddy bears. This sorry state of affairs was exacerbated by the fact that Granada, out to impress their new coach, were in an exactly opposite mood - wired and ready.

So, for 45 minutes, the home side were second to every loose ball, hardly made a decent pass and looked completely shapeless. There may even have been yawning. By half-time no-one in the ground could say that Granada didn't deserve to be leading, even if the second goal had come from an all-too-typical Casto mistake, with the goalkeeper half coming for a ball in his area, realising he'd made the wrong decision and then only being able to watch as Jara crossed for Martins to tap in. (To be fair, the opener was the result of really good build-up play and a nice Ighalo finish.)

Happily, if not decisively, the second half was 100 per cent better. One of Pepe Mel's more appealing attributes is that he doesn't hang about to make changes when things are going wrong, and he brought off Salva Sevilla - who, not for the first time, looked a little lost on the left side of midfield - for Pozuelo at half time. The 20-year-old had an immediate impact, causing the Granada defence all kinds of problems with his pace, close control and vision. Suddenly, Betis were in complete control, carving out a succession of openings and generally giving the impression that the scoreboard was going to start moving in their favour at any moment.

Sadly, it wasn't quite to be. Julio César, the visitors' reserve goalkeeper, made several key saves - including one absolutely stupendous one from substitute Jorge Molina - and the ball kept flashing across the goalmouth with no-one there to poke it home. Rubén Castro was taken off - perhaps mistakenly - halfway through the half, and it wasn't until the last 10 minutes that Betis finally got a goal, when the keeper missed a routine Beñat corner and Jonathan Pereira took advantage. There were one or two half chances in the remaining 15 minutes, but mostly it was just a case of Granada sharing out the yellow cards for time wasting.

I'm not sure today's game really tells us anything new about Betis. They're definitely not as bad as they looked in the first half, and their dramatic improvement in the second period really just confirms that. On the other hand, the sooner they get to 30 points, the better. (Well, obviously.) For all that Granada played well and deserved to win today, this was a chance missed. Let's hope Mallorca are made to pay on Saturday.

Betis: Casto; Isidoro (Pereira, m. 64), Mario, Dorado, Nacho; Juanma, Iriney, Beñat, Salva Sevilla (Pozuelo, m.45); Rubén Castro (Jorge Molina, m. 58), Santa Cruz.

Goals: 0-1, m. 12, Ighalo; 0-2, m. 39, Martins; 1-2, m. 81, Pereira

Attendance: 36, 755

Comments

[Kent]

Thanks for the synopsis. Not good enough Betis, these are the games we have to have!

[Linus]

The first half was just embarrassing to watch... my god, we played so bad! Second half was better though, especially the last 10. To be honest, we deserved to get at least 1 point but as we played in the first half we can only blame ourselves!

Btw, am i the only one who thinks Salva NOT can play on the wing pos? Sure, he does really well when Mel puts him on a centre role but at the wing... no way. He is too slow and he doesn't have the right qualities to play on the wing. You could clearly see that from today's game. So please Mel, don't use Salva as a winger. And one more thing, why do we play with Molina AND Santa Cruz at the same time? I mean, two targets. Better to have one target and one with speed who can run and be tricky.

Btw, if Mel doesn't play with Pereira from start or at least take him in pretty early next match i will be really dissapointed. He deserves so much more credit and so much more time on the pitch then he gets. He always supplies we he get's the chance! Underrated player if you ask me. Prefer him over Montero for sure.

[Adam]

Agree with everything you say, Linus, although I might just put Pozuelo ahead of Pereira. I have a theory about the Molina-Santa Cruz thing, which I'll share with you tomorrow.

[Linus]

Pozuelo ahead of Pereira, sure i can take that. I just think Pereira deserves more time on the pitch then he get's. But yeah, Pozuelo has suprised us all this season, and if Mel really let him play much i think he can go and be one of our best players pretty soon.

Share the theory about the Molina-Santa Cruz think, i wanna hear it!

[Arturo]

Thank God the match was at 0300 hrs in California and I decided to continue sleeping versus waking up to listen to the match. From what I read and saw I did not miss anything today as the team decided to sleep in during the first half. As the saying goes, Entrenador nuevo victoria segura!! Ese Beti Oe!!