In an exciting opening fixture of the La Liga, Elche and Betis battled to a 1-1 draw at the Martínez Valero Stadium.
Betis took the lead early in the match when Aitor Ruibal scored in the 20th minute. However, Elche responded quickly, leveling the score with Germán Valera’s goal in the 35th minute of the second half.
Despite having the highest possession rate of the match at an impressive 65%, Elche was unable to find the winning goal.
Germán Valera was undoubtedly the standout player, delivering a strong performance with 1 goal, completing 11 successful passes, and taking 2 shots on target.
Aitor Ruibal also shone for Betis, contributing with a goal of his own, 22 completed passes, and 3 attempts towards the goal.
Elche’s manager, Eder Sarabia, set up his team in a 3-5-2 formation with Matías Dituro in goal; David Affengruber, Pedro Bigas, and Léo Pétrot forming the defense; Álvaro Núñez, Rodrigo Mendoza, Aleix Febas, Marc Aguado, and Germán Valera in midfield; with Alvaro Rodriguez and Ali Houary leading the attack.
Betis, under the leadership of Manuel Pellegrini, lined up in a 4-5-1 formation, featuring Pau López as the goalkeeper; a defensive line composed of Héctor Bellerín, Marc Bartra, Natan, and Ricardo Rodríguez; while Sergi Altimira, Pablo Fornals, Aitor Ruibal, Giovani Lo Celso, and Rodrigo Riquelme filled the midfield; with Juan Hernández up front.
The match was officiated by referee Víctor García Verdura.
Looking ahead, Elche will travel to face Atlético de Madrid, while Betis will host Alavés in their next matches.
With this draw, Elche sits in 8th place with 1 point, and Betis finds itself in 10th place, also with 1 point in the standings.
Substitutions for Elche
64’ 2T – Ali Houary replaced by Martim Neto, Alvaro Rodriguez substituted for Mourad El Ghezouani, and Marc Aguado off for Jairo Izquierdo.
73’ 2T – Léo Pétrot was replaced by Rafael Mir.
81’ 2T – Germán Valera came off for John Donald.
Yellow Card for Elche:
16’ 2T Eder Sarabia (for insulting or disapproving the referee).
Substitutions for Betis
69’ 2T – Rodrigo Riquelme was replaced by Chimy Ávila and Aitor Ruibal by Pablo Garcia.
82’ 2T – Juan Hernández came off for Cédric Bakambu.
Yellow Card for Betis:
37’ 2T Natan (for holding an opponent to prevent advancement).