Villarreal CF and Real Betis drew 1-1 in the match corresponding to matchday 5 of LaLiga EA Sports, played this Monday at Estadio de la Cerámica. The home side arrived after a 3-2 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, while the visitors aimed to extend their lead to ten points in the table following their victory over Real Madrid.
S. Mourino opened the scoring for Villarreal in the 66th minute, assisted by G. Mikautadze, but S. Guirassy equalised for Betis in the 80th minute and completed his brace with a penalty in the 85th and an own goal by Villarreal in the 90th. Manuel Pellegrini, Betis head coach, stated after the match: "Está funcionando el Betis y Pellegrini se muestra satisfecho del rendimiento de sus hombres, que están mostrando determinación y valentía para buscar los partidos". He also added: "Los de Pellegrini quieren distanciar a diez puntos a un rival directo como el Villarreal y asestarle un golpe a la confianza de su proyecto al tiempo que consolida su posición y rotación".
Real Betis travelled with 24 players, including Abde, who made the trip despite missing their Champions League debut against Lille, while Aitor and Llorente were absent due to minor issues and Morante did not travel. Villarreal, meanwhile, face a difficult league situation: they sit 18th with just two points from four matches, with zero wins, two draws and two losses, and a goal difference of -2 after scoring six and conceding eight.
The side managed by Marcelino García Toral have lost their last three games and have a recent form of LLLDD, with defeats to Dortmund and Deportivo La Coruña and a draw against Alavés. Their next fixture is away at Málaga on September 17, an opponent currently occupying 17th place in the table. Fans can check the full schedule in our fixtures section and review the squad status via squad.
Background and full detail: ABC Deportes
