Real Betis will go into the first international break of 2026/27 sitting third in LaLiga, following a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Deportivo A Coruña at the Riazor Stadium.

2026/2027 La Liga

1-1

Match Report

The opening act certainly won’t be remembered for its finesse, with several crunching challenges and precious few clear-cut chances. That said, Betis could have been ahead inside just four minutes, when Marc Bartra tried to beat Leo Román down the middle, but the home goalkeeper was equal to the attempt. Meanwhile, Deportivo’s first real opportunity saw Jonathan Asp Jensen fire just narrowly wide on 23’, with an exocet of a shot from long range.

Betis just about shaded the first 40 minutes of play, and eventually took the lead shortly before HT, when Román botched an attempted pass out from the back to Giacomo Quagliata. Nelson Deossa was sharp enough to cut in and square for Cucho Hernández to fire into the bottom-right corner of the net. It was a huge boost for Betis, though their jubilation could have been deflated, had a VAR review resulted in a red card for the goalscorer just two minutes later, after his studs were deemed to have accidentally grazed the head of Ximo Navarro in a high challenge.

Anyone expecting an instant surge from Deportivo after HT was left disappointed, as it wasn’t until the hour mark that the hosts really threatened a leveller, when Mario Soriano played David Mella, whose shocking pink hair failed to dazzle Álvaro Valles, who charged out of his goal and thwarted the attempted low finish. Seven minutes later, that nearly paid great dividends for Betis, with only a heroic block on the goalline from Bright Ede preventing Hernández from making it a brace.

That was the cue for Antonio Hidalgo to deploy his trump card from the bench, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang entering the fray to try and pile the pressure on Betis. That switch nearly had the desired effect, with the Gabonese striker attempting to steer in a ball from the left at the near post, only for Valles to stick out a palm to block the shot, before Valentín Gómez cleared out for a corner. 

Where Aubameyang failed, however, Diego Villares succeeded, when he headed in an inswinging cross from Soriano. Deportivo’s fighting spirit made them good value for a point, and while Betis are still comfortably lodged in the top four, it’s the hosts who will feel happier with the point, especially as Betis fell short in their efforts to chalk up five successive competitive wins for the first time since November 2023.

Match Events

0' The match is about to start!

9' Highlight from Deportivo vs Betis

27' Match Event for Deportivo vs Betis

43' GOAL! Deportivo 0-1 Betis (Cucho Hernández)

48' Match Event for Deportivo vs Betis

59' Match Event for Deportivo vs Betis

62' Match Event for Deportivo vs Betis

68' Match Event for Deportivo vs Betis

77' Match Event for Deportivo vs Betis

87' GOAL! Deportivo 1-1 Betis

Line-ups

Deportivo XI: Ximo Navarro, Gimenez, Leo Román, Giacomo Quagliata, Riki Rodríguez, Mario Soriano, Casado, David Mella, Jonathan Asp Jensen, Bright Ede, Bil Nsongo

Subs: Aubameyang, Traore, Miguel Loureiro, Álvaro Ferllo, Diego Villares, Luismi Cruz, Arnau Comas, Adrià Altimira, Zakaria Eddahchouri, Yeremay Hernández, Dani Barcia, Lucas Noubi

Betis XI: Bartra, Bellerin, Roca, Álvaro Valles, Cucho Hernández, Fornals, Fran García, Antony, Abde Ezzalzouli, Natan, Nelson Deossa

Subs: Isco, Ceballos, Álvaro Fidalgo, Lo Celso, Firpo, Parrott, Riquelme, Valentín Gómez, Facundo Bernal, Ángel Ortiz, Manu González, José Antonio Morante