On matchday 13 of La Liga, Betis and Girona faced off at the Benito Villamarín stadium, yielding a stalemate.
Girona took the lead early in the match with a goal from Vladyslav Vanat in the 19th minute. However, Betis responded with an equalizer just 14 minutes into the second half, thanks to Valentín Gómez.
The goal came from a remarkable play by Betis, occurring at the 29-minute mark of the second half. Isco’s precision pass found Gómez, who outmaneuvered his marker and leapt to head the ball into the right corner of the net, leaving goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga with no chance.
Betis dominated the match in terms of chances, creating 23 shots, with 10 hitting the target and 12 going off course. Despite their efforts, they were unable to convert these opportunities into a winning goal.
Pablo Fornals was named the standout player of the match for Betis, completing 86 successful passes and testing the Girona goal on two occasions.
On the defensive side, Vitor Reis was instrumental for Girona, clearing six goal-threatening attempts and stabilizing the backline.
Betis manager Manuel Pellegrini deployed a 4-3-3 formation, featuring Álvaro Valles in goal; a defensive line of Héctor Bellerín, Marc Bartra, Natan, and Valentín Gómez; a midfield trio of Pablo Fornals, Giovani Lo Celso, and Marc Roca; and an attacking front consisting of Antony, Juan Hernández, and Rodrigo Riquelme.
In contrast, Girona, led by coach Miguel Sánchez Muñoz, adopted the same 4-3-3 setup, with Paulo Gazzaniga between the posts; Hugo Rincón, Arnau Martinez, Vitor Reis, and Álex Moreno forming the defense; Axel Witsel, Iván Martín, and Azzedine Ounahi in midfield; and Viktor Tsygankov, Vladyslav Vanat, and Bryan Gil upfront.
Referee Iosu Galech Apezteguía oversaw the proceedings at the Benito Villamarín stadium.
Looking ahead, Betis will clash with their arch-rivals Sevilla in an exciting upcoming match, while Girona will host Real Madrid. The Seville derby is anticipated to be a unique experience for the Verdiblancos.
As it stands, Betis now accumulates 21 points, placing them fifth on the table, while Girona remains in 18th position with 11 points.
Substitutions for Betis
45’ 2T – Rodrigo Riquelme was replaced by Abde Ezzalzouli, Giovani Lo Celso by Sofyan Amrabat, and Héctor Bellerín by Aitor Ruibal.
59’ 2T – Pablo Fornals left the field for Isco.
75’ 2T – Marc Roca was substituted for Nelson Deossa.
Cautions for Betis:
32’ 1T – Marc Bartra (Unsportsmanlike behavior), 37’ 2T – Nelson Deossa (Unsportsmanlike behavior), 42’ 2T – Juan Hernández (Arguing with a rival).
Sent off for Betis:
45’ 2T – Antony (Direct red card).
Substitutions for Girona
65’ 2T – Bryan Gil made way for Yáser Asprilla, and Viktor Tsygankov was replaced by Joel Roca.
81’ 2T – Azzedine Ounahi left for Abel Ruíz, while Vladyslav Vanat was substituted for Cristhian Stuani.
Cautions for Girona:
11’ 1T – Vitor Reis (Unsportsmanlike behavior), 33’ 2T – Hugo Rincón (Unsportsmanlike behavior), 34’ 2T – Azzedine Ounahi (Unsportsmanlike behavior), and 42’ 2T – Paulo Gazzaniga (Arguing with a rival).