Fornals strikes late to send Betis back into fifth as Copa hopes grow
Former West Ham midfielder Pablo Fornals came off the bench to score a crucial late winner against Valencia, helping Betis reclaim fifth spot in La Liga.
Pablo Fornals proved to be Manuel Pellegrini’s trump card as the midfielder came off the bench to fire Real Betis to a dramatic 2-1 victory over Valencia at La Cartuja, sending Los Verdiblancos back into fifth place in the table.
Super sub makes the difference
The former West Ham man was introduced at half-time to inject some creativity into a Betis side struggling to break down a stubborn Valencia defence. But rather than just pulling the strings, Fornals ended up delivering the knockout blow himself, netting the winner with just three minutes of normal time remaining.
The crucial goal came after some brilliant work from Deossa, whose powerful run created the opening for Fornals to finish with aplomb. It’s the kind of impact every gaffer dreams of from the bench.
Growing goal tally
Fornals has now bagged six goals across all competitions this season - not too shabby for a midfielder who still has half a campaign to add to his tally. When asked about his growing reputation as a goalscorer, the Castellón native was modest but confident: “I’ve always scored goals, and now, well…”
The victory couldn’t have come at a better time for Betis, who reclaimed fifth position in La Liga with the three points. The players are clearly feeling the effects of their congested fixture list, with Fornals admitting: “The calendar is very tight and you can feel it in your body.”
Copa dreams and solidarity
Beyond the league position, there’s a palpable sense of excitement around the club’s Copa del Rey campaign. Fornals made it clear that’s very much on their minds, stating his hope that “nice things continue to come our way in the Copa.”
After scoring, Fornals celebrated pointedly with teammate Abde, later explaining this was in response to racist chants directed at his colleague during the reverse fixture. “The celebration was about racist chants towards a teammate,” he explained, highlighting how such incidents at other clubs have resulted in sanctions.
With their league position secured and cup aspirations intact, Betis are looking like proper contenders on multiple fronts as we head into the business end of the season. Not half bad for a team that’s clearly feeling the strain of their packed schedule.