90+4' Lopez corrals it in the box, 30 seconds remaining. OOHHH. Foul on Gonzalo just outside of the box, giving Betis one last chance. And......a yellow for Eguren for bothering the ref. AND THAT IS IT! No danger from the free kick, and Villarreal holds on, moving into sole possession of first place! 16 points through 5 games is huge - we are beating the teams we are supposed to beat. Now, after all this work, time to settle in and relax for the Barca Atletico match!
90+3' Villarreal's throw...just holding on... And then a bit of an attack, but Pires' cross is blocked.
90+1' Four minutes of stoppage. Free kick for Betis from just outside the box on Lopez' right. SAVE! Punched by Lopez, and on the counter, Villarreal gets a throw in.
90' Emana's shot is well high, allowing Diego Lopez to take his time with the goal kick.
89' Match is deffinitely not over yet. Betis are attacking, and have a corner from Lopez's left. Corner goes through without a touch. Betis still have possession into the 90th.
88' Yellow card for Emana for dissent.
87' No one was anywhere near Ibagaza's crossing pass from the free kick.
86' Finally a decent bit of passing and possession for Villarreal. Oh! And a free kick from 25 yards coming up for the Yellow Submarine, as Cazorla is taken down on a run. Jose Mari is replaced by Pavone.
85' Villarreal appear content to move down the field and then stall out to draw the clock down.
83' AAAHHH. Ibagaza got it in the box, only to stumble and fail to get a shot off. A great opportunity wasted.
82' Cazorla sends it innocently across the box, with no one there to pull the trigger. On the way back down the field, Pires picks up a yellow. i do not think we are going to win the fair play competition this year!
81' Lopez brings the ball down out of the air to prevent any danger after Betis was putting a little bit of action together on the right side.
78' Betis brings in Juanma for Vega.
77' Shot high by Betis. Bruno comes in, replacing Llorente. Theoretically, Ibagaza will move up a little.
74' Free kick for Betis from the left corner. Headed over. No danger.
73' Diego Lopez stretches to the end of the box to prevent an attack. Mark Gonzalez was replaced for Betis.
70' GOOOOOOALLLLLLL Llorente!!!!!!! Ibagaza set it up, knocked back in by Pires, and Llorente slots it home. 2-1.
69' GOOOOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLLLLL! GONZALO! GONZALO GONZALO! An absolutely unbelievable header off an Ibagaza free kick. Top back corner of the net, truly spectacular. 1-1.
68' Yellow on Aurelio after a bad foul. Free kick just outside of the box.
67' Pires earns a corner after Villarreal pushed forward. Decent ball in, but headed well well wide.
65' Franco goes down in the box, but it was pretty clearly not a foul - but it was a great move to get in there. The fans are not happy at all. And, on replay, there was a little more of a foul than I originally though.
64' Gonzalo finds a yellow after picking off Jose Mari. Then Damia puts it in the back of the net from a well offside position - no goal.
63' A bit of pressure from Villarreal, which leads to a throw in around the corner flag. AAAHHH! A great move into the box, and Villarreal just can't find a shot.
62' It wasn't Cazorla. Perhaps Senna? I do not see him on the pitch.
61' Monzon is in for Mark Gonzalez on the Betis side. Corner to Villarreal off a free kick. Ibagaza to take it.
59' Substitution: Rossi is relieved by Franco. I am a bit surprised - Rossi was showing a little life. Perhaps he is still not match fit. Pires is also in. Not sure for who just yet. I think it was for Cazorla.
57' Eguren shoots just wide after Cazorla settled just outside of the box and centered it to him. Probably 4 feet wide.
56' Rossi gets a great move into the middle of the pitch, and puts it just ahead of Llorente who could have been sent through if the pass was just a little slower.
54' Yellow to Jose Mari in midfield. And then the Betis keeper appears to handle the ball outside of the box - in fact, clearly did - but it isn't called.
53' Rossi gets it in the box, but then centers to Casto. The ball is then quickly sent to the other end of the pitch and Lopez makes a great athletic play to stop the attack.
52' Ibagaza picks up a yellow for a trip after a foul should have been called in the corner going the other way. But that is how things go sometimes. Betis back on the attack, and Mark Gonzalez gets a good shot just over the bar.
51' Leads to a corner. Did not go well.
50' Great move into the box by Villarreal (Cazorla), but it is cleared by Betis. Foul, though, giving Villarreal a free kick from 25.
49' Senna dribbles a shot low, almost directed on goal, I think by Llorente, but no danger.
48' Cazorla gets a shot on goal from just inside the box, but it does not trouble Casto.
47' Venta gets a yellow card. He really needs to go. Just not his day. Free kick to Betis on the right wing. Nothing comes from it in the end, despite Villarreal's inability to clear.
46' Game on. Just learned that Altidore is NOT available.
I would like to see Venta either switch with Angel or be replaced by Bruno. And we need Pires. Cazorla has been uncomfortable and loose with the ball - he might need a break. And it looks like either Franco or Altidore could do a better job in place of Llorente. Rossi has not shown too much, but we need him in their for a moment of brilliance.
HALF A poor half for Villarreal - and a lot of credit to Betis, who were relentless. Villarreal must turn things around in a hurry if they do not want to mark their first loss of the season.
45+2' Headed on goal for Betis off a free kick, but Lopez easily saves.
45'+ 2 minutes of stoppage time. Betis continue to attack well.
44' Corner to Villarreal. Finally more possession...headed to the far side, Gonzalo poorly sends it back in, and nothing comes of it.
43' Free kick for Villarreal 35 yards out. Nothing.
42' Yellow against Betis (Gonzalez)
41' Sustained possession. Some good chances, but nothing concrete yet. A cross in to Rossi, and he shoots, but well wide.
39' And it was Ibagaza, but he puts it just high and right. Not a bad effort, he had beaten the keeper if it was down 2 feet.
38' Foul by Betis 25 yards from their own goal...Senna territory.
36' Corner to Villarreal. Nothing. Unless something changes soon, this will be at least 0-2, if not 0-3.
34' Foul by Senna on Jose Mari, setting up a free kick, which Betis takes quickly, and again Villarreal has a tremendous tackle in the box to prevent an easy shot on goal. And on the corner, ANOTHER save by the Villarreal man on the post, leading to a second Betis shot saved by Lopez. The ensuing corner was headed wide by Betis. Things are not looking good...
33' GREAT tackle coming in by Angel in the box to prevent a 1 on 1 with Lopez.
32' Cross in by Angel, cleared easily. A little possession...and then it is given away.
31' Good offensive movement (Finally!) gettting the ball in the attacking third, and Angel shoots it over.
30' The first third of this match has not been the way Villarreal wanted it. They have not looked like the same side to show up throughout the rest of the year. Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers.
29' Santi is stripped of the ball, and Betis with a clear shot shoots just wide!
28' Handball on Cazorla, as Villarreal bungles the ball around a bit in Betis' box. No one is being decisive.
26' Betis free kick...blocked by the wall, corner. Headed in, and save by a Yellow defender on the goal post!
25’ Good work from Diego Lopez who goes high in the box to stop a Betis run. And then, on the ensuing Betis possession, Javi Venta gives away a free kick from 25 yards.
22' Yellow for Arzu after a hard foul on Cazorla. Free kick on the right wing. Leads to a weak header back towards the Betis goal, no real danger involved.
20’ WHOA. Betis nearly takes the lead in the 20th, with the ball cleared off the line, and then Damia tips it in off a good strike into the box. Betis has been playing much better than Villarreal so far. 0-1 Betis. Not good.
19’ Villarreal are still uncharacteristically losing possession in midfield pretty easily, which is giving Betis chances.
Jose Mari takes Godin down hard, but he appears ok.
17’ Cazorla turns it over in the Villarreal half, and the Betico got to the middle only to shoot it towards someone way up in the stands.
16’ Villarreal are lucky, as a bad pass by Betis prevented a certain chance after Jose Mari had a clear lane to the goal.
And Ibagaza has a low-running shot on goal, easily covered.
15' In response to Yanked Around, I believe I heard Altidore mentioned as a possible sub in the match, but I cannot be certain that he is available. Nothing is likely until the second half, for sure.
14’ OOOOOHHHHHH! Rossi comes so close with a volley, just wide after a great cross in from Ibagaza.
13’ Villarreal are starting to look a little more composed, but are not very threatening at the moment.
11’ Javi Venta had a chance to get in on goal after a good pass from Ibagaza, but a bad first touch put it out.
9’ Offsides on Cazorla just barely, after some great passing nearly sent him clear.
8’ Rare for GolTV, you can hear some crowd noise – great chanting going on. Javi Venta gives up a throw-in, and good defensive presence gets it out of the box.
6’ Another corner for Betis, after some good attacking. Headed down easily to Lopez.
5’ Free kick picked up by Ibagaza on the left wing, about40 yards out. Played for possession rather than towards goal.
4’ A bit sloppy on the start, not very good possession for Villarreal.
2’ Scratch that – it looks like Javi Venta lined up on the left, rather than Angel (Angel being over on the right – I guess Pellegrini has liked his offensive presence out there.
And a HUGE save by Lopez after a shot from the top of the box by Betis. Corner for Betis...cleared.
1’ Game on!
Betis starting lineup: Casto; Nelson, Arzu, Juanito, Vega; Aurelio, Capi, Damia, Gonzalez, Emana; Jose Mari
Villarreal’s starting lineup: Diego Lopez; Javi Venta, Gonzalo, Godin, Angel; Cazorla, Senna, Eguren, Ibagaza; Llorente, Rossi