Isco leads Betis past Real Madrid to hand advantage to Barcelona and Atletico

Isco leads Betis past Real Madrid to hand advantage to Barcelona and Atletico

Faruq Ibrahim 20:52 - 01.03.2025

Antony and Isco-led Betis set Real Madrid's title bus off course with comeback victory at the Villamarin.

Real Betis beat Real Madrid at the Benito Villamarin to boost their European ambitions and dampen Real Madrid's title hopes.

Los Blancos fired first and early through Brahim Diaz and looked set for a comfortable victory, but the Heliopolitans roared back, scoring in either half to complete a famous victory over the champions.

Key match details

Real Madrid got off to a flying start, scoring within 10 minutes of kickoff. Ferland Mendy was released into space by his compatriot Kylian Mbappe. In turn, he squared to Brahim Diaz, who likes home with minimal fuss. However, the visitors' early dominance was slowly chipped away by a resurgent Betis side.

Betis's first genuine attempt came courtesy of Ricardo Rodriguez's speculative effort from distance, which was followed by Marc Bartra's wayward shot and Jesus Rodriguez's failed connection on a Youssouf Sabaly cross.

Despite their initial struggles, Betis gradually gained momentum, and their persistence paid off in the 34th minute. Johnny Cardoso met Isco's pinpoint cross with a powerful header that beat Thibaut Courtois. Cardoso nearly doubled his tally on the stroke of halftime, but Courtois produced a stunning reflex save to tip his deflected header wide. The second half saw Betis continue to press, with Cardoso and Cucho both having shots blocked. 

The hosts were awarded a penalty when Isco released Jesus, who was fouled by Antonio Rudiger. Isco stepped up to convert the spot-kick, despite Courtois guessing correctly.

 Real Madrid pushed for an equaliser, but Betis held firm. The win propels Betis to sixth in the LaLiga standings, improving their chances to qualify for the Europa League. Real Madrid, on the other hand, risks falling to third by the end of the game week. 

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