Corberán fumes over penalty decision as Betis snatch late victory
Real Betis secured a dramatic late win against Valencia, with Corberán questioning the crucial penalty decision that changed the momentum of the match.
A gutted Carlos Corberán was left questioning the referee’s interpretation after Valencia suffered a painful defeat to Real Betis, with the visitors grabbing a late winner in the 88th minute through Fornals.
Penalty controversy
The Valencia gaffer was particularly miffed about the penalty awarded against his defender Copete, which proved to be a pivotal moment in the match.
“Copete clears the ball and then steps on the opponent,” Corberán explained, clearly frustrated with the decision that went against his side. The manager’s view was that since the contact came after the clearance, it shouldn’t have warranted a spot kick.
The penalty came at a crucial time, with Valencia having taken the lead despite missing a penalty of their own earlier in the game. The equaliser changed the complexion of the match heading into half-time.
Late collapse
Corberán was honest in his assessment of how his team managed the closing stages:
“We didn’t handle the situation well in the final minutes. Defensively, we should have pressed less, dropped deeper, and looked for counterattacks because we had options to be quick.”
Instead, Valencia’s desire to maintain pressure saw them lose shape, creating space that Betis exploited brilliantly. A rapid attack down the flank from Deossa set up Fornals’ winner, leaving the home fans in bits.
Substitution decisions
The gaffer defended his approach to changes, suggesting he believed the starting eleven was performing adequately for much of the contest:
“I thought the team was doing well. They started the second half well, then had a moment of retreat before recovering again.”
He did acknowledge that perhaps some changes were forced when unnecessary, though he maintained full faith in the players who entered the fray.
Looking ahead
The defeat leaves Valencia perilously close to the relegation places, despite having won their previous two matches. The team now faces a massive week ahead with a Copa del Rey quarter-final against Athletic Club before hosting Real Madrid at Mestalla in La Liga on Sunday.
For a side that started the match with “tremendous determination,” as Corberán put it, this result will be a right kick in the teeth as they prepare for these critical fixtures.