Real Madrid maintained their unbeaten start to the LaLiga season with a 1-0 win over Real Betis on Saturday evening.
Teams: Real Betis 0-1 Real Madrid
Date: 28 August 2021
Venue: Estadio Benito Villamarín
Vincius Junior was handed a start after bagging a brace off the bench last week, with Eden hazard dropping to the bench while Dani Carvajal came in for Lucas Vazquez at right-back.
Los Blancos should have been ahead inside the opening 10 minutes as Karim Benzema combined with Vinicius to good effect but he sent his first-time effort wide of the upright.
Betis started seeing more of the ball thereafter with Nabil Fekir getting a lot of joy in the midfield, but the hosts did not have any clear-cut openings in the final third.
That proved to be trend for the remainder of the half, although Thibaut Courtois was the busier of the two goalkeepers having made a couple saves to deny Fekir and Sergio Canales.
After a quiet start to the second half, Los Blancos got the opening goal through an unfamiliar source as Benzema turned provider to pick out Carvajal who found the bottom corner with a first-time volley.
Betis manager Manuel Pellegrini responded with a double change soon after as Christian Tello and Camarasa replaced Aitor Ruibal and Andrés Guardado for the final 20 minutes.
Hazard was also introduced in the latter stages of the first half and he nearly added to the scoresheet on 90 minutes after being slipped through on goal, but the Belgian winger was denied by Rui Silva.
In the end, Carvajal's solitary strike was enough to secure maximum points on the night while Courtois produced a fine save at the end to keep Montoya's effort.
