Real Betis to face Sevilla in Copa Del Rey final

 

Real Betis will play Sevilla in the final of the Copa Del Rey this season after seeing off stubborn Rayo Vallecano on Thursday evening. Manuel Pellegrini’s side had won the first leg of the fixture with a 2-1 scoreline.

Borja Iglesias and William Carvalho had canceled Alvaro Garcia’s fifth-minute opener in the first leg in February to give Betis the advantage.

However, the second leg didn’t start any easier for the high-flying La Liga side who have not won since a 2-1 win over Real Mallorca in the La Liga two weeks ago.

Rayo Vallecano may have lost their last five games before the second-leg semifinal, but they dominated the first half of the encounter.

The team, who are currently 12th on the La Liga table has 31 points from 25 matches, took the lead as Bebe scored a stunning free-kick with ten minutes left on the clock.

However, Borja Iglesias was on hand for a late equalizer to ensure that the tie didn’t need extra time. The final of the Copa Del Rey will be played at La Curteja in Seville on April 23rd.

Real Betis will face a Valencia side who defeated Athletic Bilbao 2-1 on aggregate after a 1-1 draw in the first leg and a 1-0 win in the second.

Coached by former Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini, Real Betis has had a fantastic season, and the result on Thursday is another milestone in an incredible season.

Before the first leg, Pellegrini insisted that getting to the semifinals of the Copa Del Rey semifinal isn’t enough for Betis. The team is third on the La Liga table above Barcelona and Atletico Madrid and just behind Sevilla in second while they are still in the running for the Europa League as they play Frankfurt in the quarter-finals.

 

Written by: Daniel Ademiju Idowu