The most suffering Betis returns to the round of 16 eight years later

Eight years later, Betis will be back this Friday in the Europa League round of 16 draw. Manuel Pellegrini’s team, more patient than ever, ended up drawing nothing with Zenit at the Benito Villamarín after a heart-stopping ending in which the VAR helped the Verdiblancos, who made the 2-3 scoreline achieved in St. return to a round that they had not stepped on since the 2013-14 campaign.

The locals, conservative in a first period with little significance, increased their performance in a second half of the most revolutionized and were able to avoid the final torment of having had a bit of fortune in a couple of set pieces. But they ended up suffering from the attacks of Zenit, who did not give up, fought for their survival until the last moment and bordered on extra time in a goal by Chistyakov that the referee annulled at the request of the VAR due to a previous stomp by Erokhin on Guido Rodríguez.

Pellegrini’s hosts flirted with the precipice, but managed to endure and took another step in a season in which they are responding with greatness to an exhausting challenge that has them third in the League, in the semifinals of the Copa del Rey and with the dream of the current Europa League.

Three changes in the eleven of Betis with respect to the one that Pellegrini arranged seven days ago in Saint Petersburg and four variants in the lineup of a Zenit that, beyond the merely sporting aspect, aroused glances for Russia’s attack on Ukraine. Sergei Semak thoroughly remodeled the rearguard, which made waters in that first frenetic part disputed in the city that saw Vladimir Putin born 69 years ago.

Pellegrini warned against the temptation to speculate on the income obtained in the first leg, but the truth is that Betis came out much more timid than at the Gazprom Arena. He did not want to tempt fate with another Russian roulette and the greater momentum of Zenit also weighed in the balance, where the rookie Odoevski transmitted insecurity under the sticks.

Zenit pushed Betis into an uncomfortable scenario by discussing the ball and gradually generating approaches. A cross from Krugovoi that was left in no man’s land caused the first scare in Heliopolis, although Ruibal removed the danger in time when Dzyuba was about to throw the rod. Yuri Alberto’s diagonals generated a buzz in the stands, encouraged instead by Odoevski’s nerves every time the ball wandered into the visiting area, although the first half was consumed without a single shot on goal.

From panic to joy

The clash was animated around the locker room. Pezzella extended a corner taken by Fekir and Guido Rodríguez headed the post with an opportunity that could have calmed Villamarín. Previously, the referee annulled a goal by Zenit for offside by Sutormin at the moment of releasing the center that Yuri Alberto had managed to hole in. Betis raised its intensity one point, with Fekir as a creative vortex. Zenit was waiting to go out in transition, one of the luck that best dominates the eastern squad.

The main threat from the Russians came from the right flank, where Sutormin overwhelmed Álex Moreno. The Zenit winger created a pintipara opportunity that neither Sergeyev nor Yuri Alberto could take advantage of before the Saint Petersburg team turned the field in search of a goal that would allow them to maintain hope. Fatigue took its toll on Betis, suffocated by the honorable visitors and the figure of Malcom also began to emerge, another knife on the right. The former Barça player had it before Chistyakov silenced Villamarín with a close-range header that sent the game into extra time. But the scare lasted a minute because the VAR immediately changed the panic of the local fans into joy.