Rodrigo Riquelme breaks Elche resistance as Real Betis win 2-0

Real Betis beat Elche 2-0, with nine shots on goal to Elche’s one providing the clearest explanation for the result. The decisive goals arrived late, as Rodrigo Riquelme and Marc Bartra settled a match that remained goalless until the 81st minute.

Riquelme breaks the deadlock

Elche held Real Betis until 81', when Rodrigo Riquelme scored a normal goal to make it 0-1. Marc Bartra then added Real Betis’ second goal in the 89th minute, making the score 0-2, with Dani Ceballos providing the assist.

Ceballos had entered in the 69th minute for Pablo Fornals and finished with three key passes and one assist in 21 minutes. Riquelme, who played 12 minutes, matched M. Dituro’s match rating of 7.9 and also recorded one shot on target.

Betis create the clearer chances

Real Betis had 52% possession and completed 470 accurate passes to Elche’s 429. The visitors also led 18-13 in total shots and 13-7 for shots inside the box. Dituro made seven saves, while Álvaro Vallés made one, underlining the difference in goalmouth pressure.

Elche’s discipline became an issue late on, with yellow cards listed for Martim Neto in the 82nd minute and Javier Morcillo Rodrigálvarez in the 84th, following earlier bookings for Martin Anselmi, Federico Redondo Solari and Grady Diangana.

Result changes the form narrative

Going into the match, Elche were ranked #17 with 10 points from 11 games, while Real Betis were ranked #4 with 23 points from 11. Betis were 13 points ahead, and this victory extends their positive momentum after a pre-match sequence featuring seven wins. Elche’s loss adds to a pre-match run containing five defeats.