January 2015: Mel’s return and turning point

Year overview

With the current year coming to an end, it is time to look back and review how 2015 was. In the case of Real Betis Balompié, the year can be highlighted with the return of the team to the top division of Spanish football. The place where the Club belongs. A year of hard work that reached its best moment with the long waited promotion after a year in Segunda Division. With the overview of January 2015, we begin this series to analyse, month by month, this Green-and-White year.

Real Betis opened 2015 playing on the 3rd of January at AD Alcorcón. This match brought a special moment, as it was the first match of Pepe Mel in his second spell in charge of the team. The match finished 0-0, and Real Betis was then fifth in the table with 34 points, five points short of the leader, UD Las Palmas. That match meant a turning point for the Green-and-White team, that completed a very good match since then.

On the 10th of January, Real Betis played at home against CD Tenerife in the first match of Mel in front of his fans who received him with a warm welcome. A good performance of the team that day, with a victory 3-1. The goals came from the attacking couple that made the promotion possible. Rubén Castro scored twice and Jorge Molina once.

In Match 21, played on the 17th of January, Real Betis played at El Molinón, home ground of Real Sporting de Gijon. Pepe Mel and Abelardo faced for the first out of the five times they have played against each other this year. The match finished with a victory for Real Betis (1-2), with a header from Bruno and a superb volley from Xavi Torres. These goals made possible a comeback after Real Sporting de Gijon had taken advantage in the fifth minute. Real Betis reached the second place in the table.

A week later, on the 24th, Real Betis beat CE Sabadell FC in Benito Villamarín Stadium. The match finished 2-0, with goals from Jorge Molina and Dani Ceballos. The young player scored his second goal with the first team. The team closed the months playing at CD Numancia’s stadium. A draw in that match (1-1), with a goal from Rubén Castro for the Green-and-White side. At the end of the month, Real Betis was fourth in a very tight top part of the table. The leader then, UD Las Palmas, had 47 points, while the second, third and fourth teams (Girona FC, Real Sporting de Gijon and Real Betis Balompié, respectively) had all 44 points.