Rodrigo Riquelme and Marc Bartra scored in the final ten minutes as Real Betis won 2-0 at Elche on Sunday, after Matías Dituro had kept the hosts level for most of the afternoon at the Martínez Valero.
Riquelme, on as a 78th-minute substitute, turned in the rebound after José Antonio Morante headed against the post, and Bartra headed in Dani Ceballos' corner in the 89th minute. Manuel Pellegrini's side go into the international break on 26 points.
Match facts
- Result: Elche 0-2 Real Betis (half-time 0-0)
- Competition: LaLiga EA Sports, Matchday 12
- Venue: Estadio Martínez Valero, Elche
- Scorers: Real Betis - Rodrigo Riquelme 81', Marc Bartra 89'
- Assist: Dani Ceballos (89')
- Red cards: None
- Referee: César Soto Grado
- Possession: Elche 48.2%, Real Betis 51.8%
- Shots: Elche 13 (1 on target), Real Betis 17 (9 on target)
- Next: Sevilla v Real Betis, Saturday 21 November; Levante v Elche, Monday 23 November
How the match unfolded
Betis made the brighter start. In the 17th minute Isco slipped Pablo Fornals in behind the Elche defence, but Dituro saved with his feet, and Troy Parrott shot just wide soon after.
Elche grew into the first half, with Martim Neto running the game from midfield. In the 41st minute Neto found right-back Rubén Sánchez in the box, and his shot across Álvaro Valles went just wide of the post. In first-half stoppage time Federico Redondo headed a Neto cross over the bar.
Elche lost Ali Houary to injury at the break, and Grady Diangana replaced him. Betis came out strongly: Dituro pushed Fran García's shot behind in the 47th minute, and Diangana forced a save from Valles at the other end in the 56th. Elche coach Martín Anselmi was booked for protesting around the hour.
Dituro kept Elche level through the middle of the second half. In the 67th minute he saved from Isco and Elche survived the scramble that followed, with Abde Ezzalzouli unable to force the ball in. Five minutes later he tipped another Isco shot from the edge of the area away from the top corner.
Pellegrini's changes decided the game. Ceballos and Aitor Ruibal came on in the 69th minute, and Riquelme and Morante followed in the 78th. Three minutes later Ceballos crossed, Morante's header hit the right post and Riquelme smashed the rebound in from close range. All three players in the move had come off the bench.
Dituro saved again from Ruibal in the 88th minute, but Betis scored from the corner that followed. Ceballos swung it in and Bartra headed into the bottom corner. Elche had no reply in the four minutes of added time.
What the result means
Betis have 26 points from 12 games. That is four behind Barcelona and Real Madrid, who both have 30, and two behind Atlético Madrid on 28. Atlético host Barcelona on Sunday night (20:00 UK). The win also followed a midweek defeat in Dortmund, after which Pellegrini made six changes to his starting line-up, according to AS.
Elche stay on 10 points from 12 games, and LaLiga's official home table shows they have taken one point from six matches at the Martínez Valero this season. They had also lost 1-0 at home to Valencia last weekend.
What happens next?
After the international break, Betis visit Sevilla in the Seville derby on Saturday 21 November (17:30 UK). Elche travel to Levante on Monday 23 November (20:00 UK).
Morante, who came on to help create the opener, also scored late in Betis 5-2 Osasuna last month, while Betis' only home league defeat this season, according to LaLiga's official home table, came in Real Betis 2-5 Barcelona. Saturday's Valencia 0-3 Real Madrid report and the rest of the round are in our La Liga section.
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