Real Betis 2-1 Getafe: Lo Celso brace fires Betis to victory over struggling visitors

Real Betis achieved consecutive home league victories for the first time in 2024 with a 2-1 triumph over Getafe, who remain without a win this season following a second-half brace from Giovani Lo Celso.

On Friday night, Real Betis required 70 minutes to overcome Leganes’ defense, but against Getafe, they were eager to make an early impact.

The initial moments were characterized by relentless attacks from Betis, yet Lo Celso discovered that breaking through would not be an easy task when his long-range shot sailed over the bar.

A fortunate turn of events nearly aided their cause, as a rapid counterattack culminated in Abde Ezzalzouli’s deflected cross finding the net, but a remarkable save from David Soria kept the score level.

Betis persisted in their search for the opening goal, but Soria proved to be an insurmountable barrier. Even when he found himself on the ground in a vulnerable position, he managed to thwart the hosts, as Ezzalzouli learned when he seized a loose ball in the box; despite Soria being down, his shot astonishingly struck the goalkeeper and was cleared to safety.

The visitors were fortunate to reach halftime without conceding, as another opportunity slipped away for Betis just before the break when Lo Celso’s determined run resulted in a shot that narrowly missed the post.

The second half commenced in a similar vein, with Betis dominating play and relying on Soria to keep Getafe in contention. He made another exceptional save ten minutes into the half, reacting swiftly to deflect Diego Llorente’s acrobatic attempt from close range.

However, their diligent efforts were undone in an unfortunate manner when Luis Milla was deemed to have handled Vitor Roque’s header destined for goal.

Lo Celso, who had been unfortunate not to score earlier, confidently converted the penalty, sending Soria the wrong way.

Betis' second goal was a result of their own efforts, as Lo Celso struck powerfully from the edge of the penalty area, thereby increasing the hosts' lead.

This goal seemed to drain the energy from Getafe, leading to the dismissal of their coach, Jose Bordalas, from the sidelines during stoppage time.

Although Mauro Arambarri managed to secure a late consolation goal, the evening was ultimately dominated by Betis, who celebrated Manuel Pellegrini's 490th managerial appearance in LaLiga with great enthusiasm.