No LaLiga side had conceded more home goals in the first 15 minutes this season than Betis’ four, but not only did they withstand the limited early threat from Villarreal, they came close on a couple of occasions, as Chimy Avila narrowly missed the target from 25 yards, before Antony forced Luiz Junior into a smart stop at his near post.
The visiting goalkeeper had an easier time dealing with a Pablo Fornals strike after Betis won the ball back high up the pitch, before Alfonso Pedraza did the same for Villarreal at the other end, setting up Georges Mikautadze, whose first-time hit was well saved by Alvaro Valles.
Five minutes before half-time, a Giovani Lo Celso free-kick from out wide caused chaos in the Villarreal penalty area, and though Juan Foyth’s half-clearance prevented a golden chance for Natan, he could only give the ball straight to an unmarked Marc Roca, but somehow the backtracking Junior recovered to make a brilliant save.
Los Verdiblancos had only won one of the previous four times they had hosted Villarreal, yet they continued to look the more threatening in the second half, and it took less than a minute for Roca to test Junior once more with a powerful low strike.
Manuel Pellegrini’s side finally broke the deadlock in the 57th minute, when Antony combined with Fornals on the right and sent a delicate cross into the centre which Dani Parejo didn’t deal with, allowing Aitor Ruibal to steal in and turn home his fourth of the season.
Marcelino’s side had scored at least twice in nine of their last 10 league matches, but when Tajon Buchanan was played through on goal midway through the half and saw his effort saved by the legs of Valles, it was a waste of a rare scoring chance.
Their mission got that bit tougher with 14 minutes to play, as Santi Comesana was shown a straight red card for a horror challenge on Lo Celso.
In the final 10 minutes, Rodrigo Riquelme was first to try and seal the points, but had his shot tipped around the post, yet when Fornals tried his luck in Betis’ next attack, his firm effort from the edge of the area beat the goalkeeper and nestled in the bottom corner.
The win marks the first time this season Manuel Pellegrini’s side have taken points against the current top four, as Villarreal showed no sign of the team that had won its previous four away fixtures.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Aitor Ruibal (Real Betis)