Real Betis needed two second-half rallies to get past FC Porto on Wednesday night in Seville, eventually winning 3-2 thanks to Isco’s 84th-minute penalty. The hosts were the better side across 90 minutes, holding 56% possession and generating an xG of 1.68 compared to Porto’s 0.95, yet they found themselves trailing twice before substitute Hernández and then Isco turned the game. Manuel Pellegrini’s side now has six points from two Champions League matches.
Key Moments
- 42′, VAR disallowed a Borja Sainz goal for Porto, keeping the score level at 0-0 before half-time. Coach Francesco Farioli received a yellow card for dissent in the aftermath.
- 47′, Abde Ezzalzouli broke the deadlock just two minutes into the second half, finishing from a Francisco Jose Garcia Torres pass to put Betis ahead.
- 54′, Porto equalized through Gabri Veiga, the midfielder arriving to level the contest at 1-1.
- 61′, Porto took the lead for the first and only time when Samu, on as a 59th-minute substitute, finished a Pepê Aquino assist to make it 2-1.
- 74′, Hernández, introduced at the hour mark, restored parity with a goal set up by Antony, making it 2-2.
- 82′, VAR confirmed a penalty for Betis after a foul on Ángel Ortiz.
- 84′, Isco stepped up and converted the spot-kick to give Real Betis a 3-2 lead they would not relinquish.
Tactical Breakdown
Pellegrini set Betis up in a 4-2-3-1 and his side dominated the ball throughout, completing 438 of 504 passes and putting 17 shots on the Porto goal, seven of which were on target. The xG gap (1.68 vs 0.95) reflected genuine territorial control rather than a fluke win, with Betis committing more shots from inside the box (12) than Porto managed in total shots on target (5).
The game’s decisive shift came in the final half-hour. Farioli made a triple substitution at 59 minutes, bringing on Samu, Alberto Baio and Alberto Costa, and Samu scored within two minutes of entering. Betis responded by introducing Hernández and Dani Ceballos, and it was Hernández who drew Betis level at 2-2, showing the impact substitute that Samu had briefly been for Porto. The VAR penalty in the 82nd minute then handed Isco the chance to win it, and the midfielder took it cleanly.
For Porto, the VAR cancellation of Borja Sainz’s goal just before half-time proved costly in terms of momentum. Having worked to take a 2-1 lead, Farioli’s side could not hold it. The back four was exposed on transitions once Betis found their rhythm, and Porto’s low-volume passing game (393 attempts, 321 accurate) left them without reliable build-up once Betis pressed higher in the final 20 minutes. Porto leave Seville still without a point in this UCL campaign after two games.
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Verdict
Real Betis are one of only a handful of teams with a perfect record through two Champions League games, picking up six points without trailing at full-time in either fixture. For Porto, a second successive defeat leaves them with no points and a difficult path ahead in the league stage. Pellegrini’s side hosts were the more composed team when it mattered most, and Wednesday’s win demonstrated they can absorb a lead change and still find a way to win.