Juanmi sends Betis fans home jubilant with last-gasp winner against valiant Celje
Despite suffering a poor start to the league phase, Manuel Pellegrini shuffled his pack by making eight changes to the starting XI, and it showed in a disjointed first-half performance. Cédric Bakambu appeared a threat from the off, but he fired wide from a promising position before seeing a tame effort saved at the second time of asking by Celje goalkeeper Lovro Stubljar.
The visitors offered very little in response it must be said, failing to register a single shot on target, but an exasperated home crowd made their feelings heard at the half-time whistle, jeering their team off the pitch.
Despite their first-half struggles, Los Verdiblancos were unchanged for the restart amidst a subdued home atmosphere.
It was one-way traffic again though, with Betis failing to break down the Slovenians’ rearguard. Half-chances came sporadically, with Assane Diao rifling an effort over the bar before Johnny Cardoso saw his strike comfortably saved by Stubljar.
Substitute Vitor Roque had the hosts’ best chance just beyond the hour mark, as his sweetly struck volley from Youssouf Sabaly’s cross was beaten away by the Celje goalkeeper.
The home fans’ anxiety was only growing as time ticked by, but the opener finally arrived from an unlikely source. Sabaly’s cross to the near post was powered home by the head of Natan, but the defender didn’t escape unscathed as he clattered into his marker in the process, eventually forced off injured with blood pouring from his head.
Celje, who had hardly attacked all night, were now tasked with staging a fightback. And to the shock of the home crowd, they equalised within six minutes of falling behind spectacularly.
Svit Seslar’s inviting cross found Juanjo Nieto at the back post, and the full-back applied a fantastic scissor kick to restore parity.
The hosts’ lack of intensity was staggering, and they were inches away from falling behind moments later when Aljosa Matko raced through on goal, but he could only find the side-netting before being denied by Adrian in stoppage time.
That save preserved Betis’ point, and they snatched two more on the breakaway at the death as Diao released Juanmi, who applied a gorgeous dinked finish over the goalkeeper to break the hosts’ duck in this competition.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Youssouf Sabaly (Real Betis)