Real Betis continues winning run, routs Espanyol

Real Betis beat Espanyol 4-1 to strengthen its hold on third place in La Liga.

Published : Jan 22, 2022 08:58 IST , MADRID

Willian Jose celebrates after scoring his team’s fourth goal, at the RCDE Stadium in Cornella de Llobregat, on Friday.
Willian Jose celebrates after scoring his team’s fourth goal, at the RCDE Stadium in Cornella de Llobregat, on Friday.
lightbox-info

Willian Jose celebrates after scoring his team’s fourth goal, at the RCDE Stadium in Cornella de Llobregat, on Friday.

Real Betis continued its good run with a 4-1 win at Espanyol on Friday, strengthening its hold on third place in the Spanish league.

It was the third consecutive win for Betis in all competitions, and fourth in its last five matches. The victory moved Manuel Pellegrini’s team within five points of second-place Sevilla, the city rival that hosts Celta Vigo on Saturday. Leader Real Madrid is nine points ahead of Betis entering its home game against Elche on Sunday.

Betis is one of the hottest teams in Spain, having outscored opponents 14-3 in its last five games.

ALSO READ - Ansu Fati has a left-thigh injury, says Barcelona

The victory left Betis seven points clear of fourth-place Atlético Madrid, which holds the final Champions League qualification place. Atlético, the defending league champion, has two games in hand compared to Betis.

Espanyol took the lead with a goal by Raúl de Tomás early in the game, but the visiting team rallied with Borja Iglesias scoring twice and Guido Rodríguez and Willian José adding a goal each. It was the second straight home loss for Espanyol, which stayed in 11th place.

Betis’ Benito Villamarín Stadium has been closed for two matches after a Sevilla player was hit in the head by a plastic object thrown from the stands in a recent Copa del Rey game.

  • Espanyol 1 (Raul de Tomas 14’) Real Betis 4 (Borja Iglesias 31’ (P), 53’, Guido Rodriguez 36’, Willian Jose 76’)
Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment