Real Betis 3-5 Real Madrid - 5 Talking Points

Benzema sc
Benzema scored late into the night to secure all 3 points for Madrid

Scoreline: Real Betis 3-5 Real Madrid

Goalscorers: Marco Asensio 11' and 59', Aissa Mandi (33) Nacho (37' OG), Sergio Ramos 50', Cristiano Ronaldo 65', Sergio Leon 85' Karim Benzema 92'.

Real Madrid delivered a good account of their season so far in the manner of an 8 goal thriller against Qique Setien's men as they fought back against a determined opposition to secure all three points.

It was Real Madrid that took the lead in the game after Asensio rebounded home after Ronaldo's first-time shot was parried by Antonio Adan. The goals started pouring in after that as Betis took the game to Madrid.

They scored twice as the Blancos went into the break trailing. But Betis, perceivably, lost their steam in the second half as Zidane's men ran riot and scored 3 inside 15 minutes to make themselves comfortable again. But when Leon pulled one back for Betis in the 85th minute, the game was suddenly forced into a place of nerves.

But the unlikely Karim Benzema finished things off in the 92nd minute and put the game to bed.

Here are the 5 talking points from the game.


#5 Mixed bag Madrid show why they are where they are

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Casemiro struggled in the first half but grew into the game in the second

Toni Kroos, who picked up a knee injury was missing from the squad and Zidane decided to give Luka Modric a well-deserved day off as Casemiro and Kovacic tried to pull the strings in midfield.

Though Madrid started off well, Betis' resurgence following the opener often proved to be too hot to handle for Los Blancos. They were getting overrun in midfield and the stands at the Villamarin were buzzing with excitement.

Casemiro and Carvajal looked indifferent for the greater part of the first half before growing into the game and grabbing it by the scruff of its neck in the second as both players notched up an assist each. Kovacic was also proactive after Madrid were condemned to trail their opponents in the first half.

The Real Madrid defence is still a source of worry and they will argue that the second goal, which was sent in by Nacho, could have been avoided.

Though they exercised greater control over the game in the second half, Ronaldo and co. let Betis peg one back and set the game up for an intense finale.

But then Benzema decided it looked like a good time to score that rare goal of his and that was that.

Another mightily disappointing factor was Gareth Bale looking as uninvolved as a scarecrow in a paddy field. Real Madrid have let in 26 goals in 23 games and that's more than twice compared to what their rivals Atletico Madrid and FC Barcelona have let in so far this season and it is simply not acceptable coming from a team that's trying to keep up with the very best in the business.

#4 Joaquin and Boudebouz almost lead Betis to a dream night

Joaquin
Joaquin showed his class

Joaquin was absolutely immense for Real Betis on the night. He chipped in with some moments of brilliance and led the team from the front as Betis looked all set to cause Real Madrid an upset.

It wasn't him all alone though. Boudebouz was a thorn in the flesh for Casemiro and Kovacic throughout the night. The elusive 27-year-old Algerian's game is strikingly similar to that of his fellow countryman Riyad Mahrez.

Boudebouz often runs into cul-de-sacs and just when you think the boy tried to bite off more than he can chew, he'll Houdini out of whatever blind alley he seemed to have got stuck in.

Firpo was excellent on the left flank as well and did not let Carvajal have it easy. It was his sumptuous cross that set up Betis' third and pushed the game into a nervous finale.

Betis are a side that is scoring a lot of goals but haven't been able to figure out how to plug the leak at the back and will need to sort things out or all their games are going to be high-scoring fixtures... the kind that they won't enjoy, i.e.

#3 All's not well for Madrid

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Madrid will have that Marcelo will be able to recover soon

After Toni Kroos picked up a knee injury, Zidane would have been hoping that all of his star players would remain fit as they try to cement their legacy as the world-beaters of Europe.

Marcelo pulled up in the first half and collapsed to the ground as he pulled his hamstring and had to be subbed off immediately. The Brazilian is in great form and was one of Madrid's best players when they squared off against PSG in that high-profile Champions League clash.

Marcelo, in fact, lights up the left wing all by himself and is as good an attacker as you'll come across when he's not lying deep inside his own half defending.

Ever since Ronaldo started playing more centrally, Marcelo's exploits on the left wing have been crucial to Madrid's success. This was even more evident as Theo Hernandez, who replaced him, though endowed with good pace and control of the ball, couldn't conjure up anything close to the quality of what the Brazilian fullback could.

Madridistas will have their fingers crossed and will hope that the medical report isn't more bad news because they could really use less of that.

#2 Setien's men took their foot off the gas in the second half to allow Madrid back into the game

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The Betis defence was shredded to bits by Carvajal

Real Betis were, in fact, looking immense as the first half drew to a close. Their players were embarking on enterprising runs, their midfielders were shifting the ball about with considerable ease as they looked quite comfortable sustaining possession against their high-profile opponents.

But whatever Zidane said at the half-time team talk seemed to have worked and if the way Madrid showed up in the second half is anything to go by, the legendary Frenchman is nowhere close to losing his dressing room.

On the other hand, Setien, who had a big smile on his face as his team were leading at the break, could not inspire his team to kick on and do greater things from there.

Betis sat back and let themselves be washed out by wave after wave of Madrid attacks. They conceded as many as 3 goals in 15 minutes in the second half as all of Madrid's usual suspects, including Sergio Ramos, piled on the misery for the side from Seville.

Their centre-backs were often caught out of their depth with Bartra being impressive with his forward passes in one second before passing it back to the opponent in the very next. Sums up their night.

Their performance in the second half can be well summed up by how they all fell like rose petals in the wind as Carvajal whizzed past the lot of them that was stationed on the right flank to set up Asensio for Madrid's 3rd goal of the night. Shambolic.

#1 Marco Asensio and the usual suspects

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Carvajal and Asensio combined to score a spectacular goal

Though they were sub-par in the first half, Zinedine Zidane's crew of superstars were immense in the second as they pulled off an impressive comeback victory against a Betis side that could spring more than a couple of surprises.

Marco Asensio, however, was brilliant on the night as he kicked on in the same vein as in the match against PSG. He scored Madrid's opener after reacting promptly inside the area after Cristiano Ronaldo's shot was parried by Adan.

But it was his second goal that was a thing of beauty. Though it was Carvajal who eviscerated Real Betis' left-side players with a devastating run, his ball into the box was expertly turned into goal thanks to the golden boy's incredible technique.

As the future looks good for Madrid, with a typical Ronaldo finish that saw him cut inside and wrong foot a defender before sending it home, Madrid's Mr. Ever-present and the 2017 Ballon d'Or winner roared back into form once again.

Cristiano Ronaldo has now scored 10 goals in his last 6 games and it is starting to look more and more like he isn't going to be done anytime soon.

Sergio Ramos' towering header in the second half to equalize for Madrid shows how the man keeps delivering at times when his team needs him the most. In Ramos, Madrid still have a captain who can rise to the occasion and inspire his team on to great things as he has done over the past 4 years and more.

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Edited by Shambhu Ajith