Real Betis scored twice in the closing stages to secure a 2-0 away victory over Elche in their La Liga encounter at the Martínez Valero Stadium on Sunday.
The visitors struggled to break down their hosts for much of the encounter but found the breakthrough in the 81st minute through substitute Rodrigo Riquelme before Marc Bartra sealed the win eight minutes later.
Both sides endured a goalless first half, with Betis enjoying a slight advantage in possession but failing to convert their dominance into clear scoring opportunities.
Elche also struggled to threaten the visitors, registering just one shot on target throughout the match.
The hosts made a change at the break, bringing on Giorgi Diangana for Aleix Houary as they looked to improve their attacking threat.
Betis eventually broke the deadlock when Riquelme, who had replaced Abde Ezzalzouli shortly before scoring, found the back of the net in the 81st minute to put Manuel Pellegrini’s side ahead.
The visitors doubled their advantage in the 89th minute through Bartra, whose goal ensured they left Elche with all three points.
Betis’ attacking superiority was reflected in the statistics, as they recorded nine shots on target compared to Elche’s one.
They also completed 530 passes, while the hosts managed 487.
Elche goalkeeper Matías Dituro made seven saves during the encounter, while Betis goalkeeper Álvaro Vallés was called into action just once.
The victory gives Betis a valuable three points as they continue their LaLiga campaign, while Elche were left disappointed after holding their opponents until the final 10 minutes.
