Lo Celso's early strike silences a goalkeeper battle at the Benito Villamarín

Skip It Futmetrix Score: 30/100. Lo Celso's 16th-minute finish separates two teams locked in a tactical chess match where the keepers became the night's true architects.

Intensity and reflexes determined the evening

Intensity without mercy from the opening whistle. Real Betis and Alavés unleashed 27 combined shots in search of dominance, yet it was the goalkeepers who wrote the defining narrative. Pau López for Betis and Antonio Sivera for the Basques combined for ten decisive interventions that kept a match alive that could have spiraled into a rout either direction.

The goal arrived early—minute 16—when Lo Celso found the net with surgical precision. From that moment, the balance tilted decisively: Betis controlled proceedings with 49% possession, but Alavés responded with defensive ferocity. The visitors accumulated 17 fouls, their desperation written across every challenge. The stakes intensified as neither side surrendered.

The Basque defense organized into compact blocks, forcing Betis to hunt for solutions from distance. The 27 total shots reflect a relentless offensive siege: Betis fired 16, Alavés 11. Yet only 10 reached the target, underscoring the critical role both keepers played. López made five crucial saves; Sivera matched him with five of his own, including some spectacular denials that kept his side breathing until the final whistle.

Lo Celso's strike proved the difference-maker, allowing Betis to extend their unbeaten run (1 win, 1 draw) and strengthen their grip on seventh place. Alavés, meanwhile, slip to ninth after this defeat, though their defensive resilience hints they'll remain a thorny obstacle throughout the campaign. A match where margins were razor-thin and execution paramount.