Betis played the game almost entirely on their terms, finishing with 75% possession and 672 completed passes to Getafe’s 215. Final-third entries read 85 to 50 in Betis’ favor, and touches in the box landed at 28 to 8. Manuel Pellegrini’s 4-2-3-1 moved the ball with purpose, completing 597 accurate passes and 43 of 62 long balls at a tidy 69%. The home side also won 65% of ground duels and succeeded with 8 of 11 dribbles, which helped them keep Getafe deep. Their cross accuracy dipped at 1 of 8, but the territory and volume carried them forward regardless. They out-shot the visitors 22-8 overall and 8-2 on target. The woodwork denied them once, and a few near-misses kept the scoreline slimmer than the flow suggested. Even under occasional pressure, Betis recycled possession smoothly through Natan and Valentín Gómez, who each posted high pass counts and solid defensive lines.

That control extended to tackles and second balls, where Betis won 71% of their tackles. They were cleaner in discipline too, committing 13 fouls to Getafe’s 24 and seeing just one yellow card. The average team Sofascore Rating summed it up: 8.29 for Betis versus 6.84 for Getafe. If anything, the only frustration for Betis was not turning more of their pressure into goals.

The decisive moment

The winner arrived at 45 minutes and it was built with speed. Nelson Deossa first linked play in midfield, Ezzalzouli carried into space, and Antony switched the angle to the right. Troy Parrott then slipped an incisive pass back toward the Moroccan winger, who took the ball inside the box. Ezzalzouli’s right-foot finish went low to the keeper’s left and into the net. The chance carried an xG of 0.32 and a hefty xGOT of 0.96, reflecting the quality of the shot placement.

As a sequence, it captured what Betis did best: quick progression, good spacing, and the final pass at the right time. Parrott earned the assist and put in unselfish work off the ball in the first half. Betis’ structure also allowed Isco to knit attacks before Dani Ceballos replaced him on 61 minutes. Later changes saw Ezzalzouli and Parrott make way for Rodrigo Riquelme and Cucho Hernández at 72 minutes, a natural shift toward control and fresh legs. Even then, Betis found three big second-half chances but could not add a cushion. The single goal stood, and it owed as much to decisiveness as to the volume of shots.

Getafe’s plan and Soria’s rescue act

Getafe set up in a 4-1-4-1 and tried to spring forward with early passes or win territory from set pieces. They finished with 21 of 48 accurate long balls, three offsides and 27 clearances, a clear sign of their defensive workload. They actually won the aerial duel share at 63%, yet struggled to carry the ball out, completing just 146 accurate passes and 3 of 12 dribbles. The visitors did intercept more often, 14 to Betis’ 9, but they were forced into fouls and cards. The count ended at 24 fouls, five yellows and a late red for Mario Martín in the 87th minute. That dismissal capped a combative evening where they spent long spells without the ball.

David Soria kept them alive. He made six saves, three from inside the box, and prevented an estimated 1.21 goals. He added one punch, eight recoveries and even completed 10 of 22 long balls as Getafe tried to break pressure. Zaid Romero supported with a standout defensive line, posting six clearances, two interceptions and one clearance off the line. Ivan Azón worked hard in duels, recording four aerial wins and registering both of Getafe’s shots on target. Despite the back line’s effort, the visitors’ 0.32 xG underlined how little they fashioned at the other end.

What the numbers say

Across 90 minutes, the xG split read 1.53 for Betis to 0.32 for Getafe. Shots on target landed 8-2, and expected goals on target sat at 2.21 to 0.36, confirming the quality gap. Betis created four big chances and missed three of them, while Getafe did not create any by that measure. From central areas, Betis’ 28 touches in the box to Getafe’s 8 showed sustained pressure in the most dangerous zones. The home side also controlled the ground exchanges, winning 49 of 75 ground duels. Getafe’s route back into the game depended on set pieces and aerial play, which they did edge, but it did not translate into chance volume. Passing phases favored Betis both in volume and accuracy in the final third at 175 of 222 (79%), compared to Getafe’s 42 of 85 (49%).

Crossing was a rare weak point for both teams, with each landing just one accurate cross, and long-ball accuracy tilted strongly to Betis at 69% against 44%. Betis also cleared danger 32 times, a quirk of territory flips and late pressure, but they limited errors to three shots conceded off mistakes, equal to Getafe’s three. Goalkeeping separated the sides in key moments: Álvaro Valles made two saves and prevented 0.36 goals, while Soria was busier but ultimately beaten once by a high-quality strike. On the balance of play, a one-goal win matched the data, even if Betis could have made it safer.

MVP: David Soria’s busy night

By Sofascore Rating, the match MVP was David Soria with an 8.5. He faced 22 shots overall, saved six, and made three stops from inside the area. The model credits him with 1.21 goals prevented, a strong indicator of how much he influenced the scoreboard. He also contributed outside the box with a punch, eight ball recoveries and one key pass from deep. Under constant traffic, he still completed 12 of 24 passes and 10 of 22 long balls, giving Getafe a chance to reset higher up the pitch. His command of the penalty area and decision-making under pressure stood out all evening.

It is not often a goalkeeper on the losing side takes top honors, but Soria earned it. Betis’ best outfield rating belonged to Abdessamad Ezzalzouli at 8.1, whose decisive goal made the difference. Zaid Romero impressed at 7.9, while Betis’ center-backs Natan and Valentín Gómez, plus keeper Álvaro Valles, all posted 7.7. Detail for detail, Soria’s 90 minutes were the most impactful performance on the pitch.