Real Betis secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Getafe in their La Liga clash at the Benito Villamarín on Thursday, with Abdessamad Ezzalzouli scoring the only goal of the game shortly before half-time.
The hosts dominated possession from the opening whistle and created the better opportunities, but they were unable to turn their control into a more convincing scoreline.
Getafe goalkeeper David Soria produced a string of important saves to keep his side in contention.
Betis eventually broke the deadlock in the 45th minute.
Nelson Deossa helped launch the move before Ezzalzouli carried the ball forward and combined with Antony and Troy Parrott.
Parrott then played the ball back into the path of Ezzalzouli, who calmly finished with his right foot into the bottom corner.
Betis continued to press after the restart and created several chances to extend their lead.
They registered 22 shots compared with Getafe’s eight, with eight of the hosts’ attempts testing Soria.
However, the visitors’ goalkeeper repeatedly denied them a second goal.
Getafe struggled to create clear opportunities at the other end, managing only two shots on target.
Their best efforts came through Ivan Azón, while the defence also worked hard to keep the deficit to one goal.
The visitors’ task became even more difficult late in the match when Mario Martín was sent off in the 87th minute, leaving Getafe with little opportunity to mount a late comeback.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, Getafe avoided further damage as Betis failed to add to Ezzalzouli’s goal.
The result gave Manuel Pellegrini’s side all three points after a dominant performance, while Getafe were left to rue their lack of attacking threat.
Betis finished the match with 75 per cent possession and completed 672 passes, compared with Getafe’s 215.
The victory also reflected their greater attacking pressure, although Soria’s performance ensured the margin remained just one goal.
