Match Report: Valencia CF fight back twice to claim a point away at Betis (2-2)

Valencia CF travelled to Seville to visit Real Betis Balompié on Sunday the 18th of April at 6:30 pm kick-off time (CET) at the Benito Villamarín on Matchday 31 of LaLiga Santander.

Valencia CF were off to a backfoot start to the game with a bit of defending to do and shortly after they were forced into a substitution through injury with Yunus Musah replacing Thierry Correia only seven minutes into the game. 

Things went from bad to worse when Nabil Fekir made it 0-1 over the ten-minute mark.

Valencia CF tried to up the pressure off the ball following Real Betis’s early lead. Minutes later, Valencia CF came close to scoring though a dangerous Denis Cheryshev ball across the face of goal.

Valencia CF shifted through the gears and it bore fruit halfway through the first half. Uroš Račić beat two defenders and set up Gonçalo Guedes who slotted it home inside the near post with the outside of his foot whilst being off-balance past Claudio Bravo.

The game evened out following Gonçalo Guedes’ equalising goal despite being put on the backfoot. Alas, former Valencia CF man, Sergio Canales made it 2-1 to Real Betis Balompié in the closing stages of the first half.

Valencia CF trailed 2-1 to Real Betis Balompié at half-time. 

Valencia CF came out in the second half looking to equalise as the same script followed with Valencia CF on the backfoot and trying to find a foothold in the match in the early going of the second half. 

Valencia CF were awarded a spot-kick for a handball against Álex Moreno as Gonçalo Guedes flicked the ball past him. The referee pointed to the spot, Carlos Soler stepped up and squeezed it past Claudio Bravo inside the left-hand post just over the hour mark.  

Javi Gracia made a triple substitution, his second one through injury replacing Carlos Soler for Cristiano Piccini who returned after many months on the sidelines, Patrick Cutrone who replaced Kevin Gameiro and Álex Blanco who replaced Denis Cheryshev.

Valencia CF grew into the game so much, so that Yunus Musah came mighty close to scoring with a fine solo move skipping past four Real Betis Balompié defenders and getting his shot away which forced a save out of Claudio Bravo. 

Patrick Cutrone thought he had scored after a great Daniel Wass pass which the Italian finished off in some style but the goal was disallowed for an offside call against José Luis Gayà in the build-up. 

Valencia CF were forced into a third Injury substitution late on Uroš Račić was forced off the field being replaced by fellow midfielder Christian Oliva. Shortly after Jaume managed to tip Borja Iglesias’ effort onto the post.

The game opened up in the closing minutes with both sides looking for the winning goal in a box-to-box spell of the game. Aforementioned Jaume pulled off yet another sensational stop with his foot to deny Ruibal. 

Valencia CF appeared to have been reduced to ten men for a straight red card to Daniel Was but it was downgraded to a yellow after a VAR check by the match official on the monitor. The match finished honours even at Benito Villamarín.  

Valencia CF will visit Club Atletico Osasuna in midweek on Wednesday 21st of April at 7 pm kick-off time at the Reino de Navarra on Matchday 32 of LaLiga Santander.

Match Details:

2.  RBB: Claudio Bravo, Emerson, Mandi, Víctor Ruiz, Álex Moreno (Miranda, 71’), Guido Rodríguez, Canales, Joaquín (Lainez, 64’), Tello (Aitor Ruibal, 82’), Fekir (William Carvalho, 71’) and Juanmi (Borja Iglesias, 64’).

2. VCF: Jaume Domènech, Thierry Correia (Yunus Musah, 9’), Diakhaby, Hugo Guillamón, Gayà, Racic (Christian Oliva, 82’), Soler (Piccini, 68’), Wass, Cheryshev (Álex Blanco, 68’), Guedes and Gameiro (Cutrone, 68’).

Goals: 1-0 Fekir, 12’; 1-1 Guedes, 22’; 2-1 Canales 42’; 2-2 Carlos Soler (p.), 61’.

Referee: Alberola Rojas. Booked Miranda, Lainez, Víctor Ruiz and Wass.

Observations: Matchday 33 of LaLiga held at the Benito Villamarín, Seville.