In the second round of La Liga, Betis secured a narrow 1-0 win against Alavés. The decisive moment came in the 15th minute when Giovani Lo Celso found the back of the net, ensuring the Verdiblancos took all three points.
Lo Celso executed a brilliant individual play down the right flank before sending a powerful shot past the opposing goalkeeper.
In a dramatic conclusion, Cédric Bakambu nearly doubled the advantage at the 94th minute, but his attempt struck the post, keeping the scoreline unchanged.
Giovani Lo Celso was undoubtedly the star of the match, contributing not only a goal but also completing 22 successful passes and aiming at the goal with two shots.
Sergi Altimira also put in a commendable performance for Betis, with 46 accurate passes and recovering 8 balls during the game.
At the 31st minute, Rodrigo Riquelme thrilled the crowd with a clever nutmeg on Pablo Ibáñez.
Betis’ coach, Manuel Pellegrini, lined up his team in a 4-5-1 formation, featuring Pau López as goalkeeper; a defensive line consisting of Héctor Bellerín, Marc Bartra, Natan, and Júnior Firpo; and a midfield that included Sergi Altimira, Pablo Fornals, Aitor Ruibal, Giovani Lo Celso, and Rodrigo Riquelme, with Juan Hernández leading the attack.
On the other side, Eduardo Coudet set his team in a similar 4-5-1 formation, with Antonio Sivera as the goalkeeper; Jonny Otto, Facundo Garcés, Nahuel Tenaglia, and Victor Parada in defense; and Antonio Blanco, Carlos Vicente, Jon Guridi, Pablo Ibáñez, and Carles Aleñá in midfield, with Toni Martínez as the forward.
The match at Estadio de La Cartuja was officiated by Miguel Ortiz Arias.
Looking ahead, Betis will host Athletic Bilbao in the next round, while Alavés will face Atlético de Madrid at home.
This result places Betis at the top of the table with 4 points, while Alavés remains in ninth place with 3 points.
Substitutions for Betis
58’ 2T – Rodrigo Riquelme off for Pablo Garcia
70’ 2T – Júnior Firpo off for Ricardo Rodríguez
84’ 2T – Juan Hernández off for Cédric Bakambu
85’ 2T – Giovani Lo Celso off for Valentín Gómez
Yellow Cards for Betis
0’ 2T Giovani Lo Celso (Unsportsmanlike conduct)
38’ 2T Juan Hernández (Insulting or disapproving the referee)
Substitutions for Alavés
57’ 2T – Jon Guridi off for Abde Rebbach, Pablo Ibáñez off for Ander Guevara, and Toni Martínez off for Mariano Díaz
77’ 2T – Victor Parada off for Calebe Goncalves
88’ 2T – Antonio Blanco off for Lander Pinillos
Yellow Cards for Alavés
41’ 1T Pablo Ibáñez (Reiteration of fouls)
32’ 2T Facundo Garcés (Holding the opponent to prevent progression)
35’ 2T Antonio Blanco (Insulting or disapproving the referee)