Real Betis came from behind to beat FC Porto 3-2 at La Cartuja in the Champions League. Abde Ezzalzouli, Cucho Hernández and a late Isco penalty overturned a 2-1 deficit after two quick Porto goals, in a five-goal second half.
Seville, Spain: Nothing was decided in the first 45 minutes at La Cartuja. Then the second half arrived and delivered five goals in 37 minutes.
Ezzalzouli breaks the deadlock
It was 0-0 at the interval. Betis made the breakthrough two minutes after the restart, when Abde Ezzalzouli finished a move that began with a delivery from Fran García, in the 47th minute. For about seven minutes, Betis led.
Porto answered quickly. Gabri Veiga levelled in the 54th minute, scoring from a free-kick situation and beating Álvaro Valles. Substitute Samu Aghehowa then put the visitors in front in the 61st minute, finishing a pass from Pepê. In seven minutes, the match had flipped.
Cucho and Isco turn it around
Manuel Pellegrini reacted from the bench, and the changes mattered. Cucho Hernández levelled in the 74th minute, taking Antony’s pass and finishing with his right foot.
The winner came from the penalty spot. Ángel Ortiz won the spot-kick and Isco, the captain, sent his penalty low to the goalkeeper’s left in the 84th minute.
The numbers behind the comeback
The statistics support the scoreline. Betis had 56 per cent of the ball and 17 shots to Porto’s 11, with seven on target to five. Porto created the bigger chances but missed two of them, leaving the expected-goals tally at 1.59 for the home side and 0.91 for the visitors.
The result came on a night when another comeback was playing out elsewhere, as Real Madrid recovered from 3-1 down to beat Roma. Betis finished their own comeback from the penalty spot.
Result: Real Betis 3, FC Porto 2 (half-time 0-0), UEFA Champions League league phase, matchday 2, Estadio de La Cartuja, Seville.
Betis scorers: Ezzalzouli (47′), Cucho Hernández (74′), Isco (84′, penalty).
Porto scorers: Veiga (54′), Aghehowa (61′).
