Real Betis left Madrid with a 1-0 win over Getafe, drawing level with Real Madrid on points in the La Liga table. Abde Ezzalzouli scored just before halftime after a video review confirmed the play was legal. BBC Sport and ESPN reported that VAR ruled out a handball in the buildup, allowing the goal to stand. Before the match, Betis had collected 12 points from their first five games.
Ezzalzouli finished from the center of the box after Troy Parrott crossed from the left. The referee paused before awarding the goal, but VAR confirmed there was no handball. José María Sánchez Martínez refereed the match, while José Antonio López Toca handled VAR decisions. ESPN reported that the match was played at Estadio Benito Villamarín.
Getafe goalkeeper David Soria made several impressive saves, including tipping a low shot from Betis forward Antony onto the post. Parrott nearly doubled the lead with a long-range attempt from midfield that narrowly missed.
Getafe’s chances faded late when Mario Martín was sent off with a second yellow card in the 87th minute. The dismissal left them with ten men, information from official match statistics from BBC and ESPN. Despite a late push, Getafe could not break through Betis’s defense, and the visitors took all three points.
Betis and Real Madrid now both have 15 points, trailing Barcelona, who lead the league with 18. The top of La Liga is tight, and every point is starting to matter more as the season goes on. AFP’s league table shows Betis closing the gap on the leaders, a sign of how competitive the race has become.
Elsewhere, Villarreal picked up their first win of the season by coming from behind to beat Málaga 3-1 away. Pape Gueye scored twice, while Alberto Moleiro added another after Málaga had taken the lead through Carlos Dotor. Málaga remains winless since returning to the top division.
For a look at how Spanish football has changed local communities, the recent exhibition in Bilbao offers a visual history of the sport’s impact across Spain.
Betis’s ability to hold on in tense matches points to a team growing in confidence and discipline. With the league table tightening, the coming weeks will test whether Betis can keep pace with Spain’s top clubs. Their recent form, built on ability to recover and sharp execution, keeps them firmly in the mix as the season unfolds.
