Betis earn some peace of mind

The Betis drawing board
This was a match in which both sides knew exactly what was at stake. It was not just a question of securing the three points, but rather of earning some peace of mind when looking at the table. And it was Betis who best managed to enact their playbook in the clash. The Andalusians’ set-play practice paid off with a wide free-kick which Ruben Castro ended up slotting into an empty net. 

Espanyol react
After going a goal down, the home side tried to recover the ground they had lost to an organised Betis. They could have levelled the scoreline had Constantin Galca’s forwards been able to hit the target. Gerard Moreno had the best chance to make it 1-1, but was unable to beat Antonio Adan.

Musonda
Charly Musonda’s arrival at Betis has breathed fresh life into their front line. With his electric pace combined with silky skills, since joining the side he has shown that he is destined for great things. Betis’s second goal came courtesy of a superb run by the newcomer down the left flank, before crossing into the area for German Pezzella to pop up and score.

Asensio lets Betis off the hook 
After re-emerging from the dressing room for the second half, Espanyol tried to turn things around and unsettle the visitors. And they had their chance to get back into the game. Marco Asensio produced a brilliant piece of individual play to get into the area one-on-one with Adan, but failed to keep his shot on target.

Vargas nets a beauty 
Just when it looked like Espanyol would be rewarded for their persistence, the reaction by Galca’s men was cut short by some Juan Manuel Vargas genius. The Peruvian pulled off the perfect free-kick, which crept into the top corner of Pau Lopez’s net and sealed a win for Betis in Barcelona.