Ruibal's Early Strike Undone as Valera Seals Dramatic Draw

À Éviter Score Futmetrix: 25/100. A draw that underscores the danger of letting your guard down: two lead changes and a decisive substitute intervention proved that 90 minutes of La Liga football demands constant vigilance.

Betis's Early Control Crumbles

Real Betis arrived at the Martínez Valero with suffocating intensity. Aitor Ruibal struck first in the 21st minute, converting a surgical assist from Rodrigo Riquelme. The visitors commanded the tempo with 12 total attempts against Elche's six, yet Matías Dituro proved immovable, recording three crucial saves that kept the hosts breathing.

The Substitute's Equalising Spell

Balance arrived through an unlikely source. In the 65th minute, Martim Neto emerged from the bench with one mandate: shift the stakes. His impact was instantaneous. Sixteen minutes later, Germán Valera finished with precision, courtesy of Neto's perfectly-weighted pass—a textbook reminder that substitutions can rewrite entire narratives. Elche's response exposed Betis's vulnerability when pressed.

Possession Meets Precision

Elche dominated possession (68% to 32%), stringing together 683 passes at 90% accuracy. Yet Giovani Lo Celso orchestrated Betis's threat, threading two key passes that kept the visitors dangerous despite their territorial disadvantage. Expected goals told the story of dominance (Betis 1.86 vs Elche 0.73), but football punishes complacency. Two lead changes guaranteed neither side claimed full honours—a result that leaves both teams eyeing their next fixture with unfinished business.