Villarreal pulled off a dramatic comeback to seal a fifth consecutive away victory over Real Betis, edging a vital 2-1 win in the tightly contested race for European qualification in LaLiga.
With both sides locked in the battle for continental spots, the tension was palpable in the early stages, yet the match delivered an exciting, open first half packed with attacking action.
It was the hosts who struck first in spectacular fashion, finding the net just three minutes into the clash. A misjudged clearance by Villarreal dropped invitingly outside the penalty area, allowing Aitor Ruibal to unleash a thunderous volley that flew past Luiz Júnior at his near post, leaving fans and players stunned.
Despite the early blow, the visitors held their nerve and gradually grew into the contest. Their perseverance paid off around the half-hour mark.
A chaotic corner routine led to a frantic sequence in the Betis box, with several attempts blocked before the ball eventually landed at the feet of Thierno Barry. With composure amid the congestion, the forward slotted home Villarreal’s equaliser, remarkably, with their first shot on target.
The turnaround was complete moments after the interval. Just three minutes into the second half, Dani Parejo delivered a sublime long pass to Ayoze Pérez, who controlled it expertly before sliding a shot through Adrián’s legs to give the Yellow Submarine the lead.
Parejo came close to adding a goal of his own soon after, rattling the right post with a fierce strike from outside the area.
Betis were desperate for a lifeline and appeared to have been handed one when the referee pointed to the penalty spot after Giovani Lo Celso was seemingly brought down by Logan Costa.
However, a VAR review prompted Juan Pulido to reverse the decision after checking the monitor—sparking frustration among the home crowd.
Unable to recover from the setback, Betis fell to a costly defeat, dropping to sixth as Villarreal leapfrogged them into fifth place. With seven matches remaining, there’s still time for the Andalusians to revive their European ambitions.
As for Villarreal, they now trail fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao by just three points, though the Basques could re-establish a six-point cushion with a win over Rayo Vallecano later this evening.
