MATCH REPORT | The dream is over (1-1; 1-4 in penalties)

Football was cruel tonight

Real Betis said goodbye to Copa del Rey. Today, football was not fair with the Green and Whites in the game against Athletic Club. The team controlled the game more and tried more than its rival. Juanmi gave the team the lead near the end, but Raul García scored in the final minute of the injury time. Betis tried hard in the extra time, but could not score. At the end, in the penalty shootout, Athletic won.

The initial minutes of the game went by with both teams quite even on the pitch. Betis tried to have the ball and tried more, but the away team was well settled on the pitch, and trying to hurt in counterattacks. Betis had two clear chances in the first half, from Canales and Miranda. Bot went slightly wide.

In the second half, Betis was much better than its rival. The players were trying and trying, while Athletic were stopping the game constantly with fouls, some of them quite hard. In fact, the referee did not show Yeray a yellow card twice for nasty tackles that clearly deserved a card, which would have meant the player being sent off.

Betis kept trying and, six minutes before the end, Juanmi scored. The semi-finals seemed to be just there, but Raúl García scored a header in the last second of the game.

In the extra time, Betis continued trying and Athletic focused on defending. Nothing important happened and the game went into the penalty shootout, which Athletic took home.


Real Betis Balompié: Joel Robles, Montoya, Mandi, Víctor Ruiz, Miranda (Emerson 106'), Guido Rodríguez (Joaquín 91'), William (Tello 106'), Canales, Aitor Ruibal (Juanmi 74'), Fekir (Sidnei 90+2'), Borja Iglesias (Guardado 87').
Goals: Juanmi (84').
Booked: Ruibal (54'), Carvalho (82').

Athletic Club: Unai Simón, Lekue (Capa 77'), Yeray, Íñigo Martínez, Yuri, Dani García (Vencedor 77'), Vesga (Unai López 87'), De Marcos, Berenguer (Morcillo 87'), Raúl García, Villalibre (Williams 66').
Goals: Raúl García (83').
Booked: Yuri (39'), Yeray (42'), Dani García (47'), Marínez (52'), Lekue (71'), Raúl García (83').

Penalty shootout: In Betis, Mandi scored. In Athletic, Raúl García, Williams, Morcillo and Yuri scored.

Referee: Alejandro Hernández Hernández.