Real Betis’ quest to reclaim sixth place in La Liga hit a stumbling block as they were held to a goalless draw by a resolute Deportivo Alavés at the Benito Villamarín. This result extends the Verdiblancos’ winless streak at home to four games across all competitions and leaves them one point behind Real Sociedad in the race for European qualification.
The early momentum belonged to the visitors, with in-form striker Samu Omorodion thinking he had broken the deadlock inside two minutes. However, the assistant referee’s flag promptly quashed his celebrations for offside. Despite the disparity in league positions, Alavés have proven to be a thorn in Betis’ side this season, having previously held them to a draw in the reverse fixture and eliminated them from the Copa del Rey.
Betis gradually grew into the game after the initial scare, but clear-cut chances remained elusive. Nabil Fekir came closest to unlocking the Alavés defense, going down under a challenge in the box, but the referee waved away his penalty appeals. Manuel Pellegrini opted for attacking substitutions in the second half, introducing Cédric Bakambu, Rodri, and Willian José, but Alavés, marshalled by the impressive Real Madrid loanee Rafa Marín at the back, stood firm to secure a valuable point.
This goalless draw represents a missed opportunity for Betis, who now face the added challenge of overcoming a one-goal deficit against Dinamo Zagreb in the UEFA Europa Conference League on Thursday. Meanwhile, Alavés can be proud of their defensive resilience and will look to build on their strong start to 2024 when they host RCD Mallorca next weekend.
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