Full-time: Real Betis 1-1 Real Madrid
And that’s it! Real Betis, clinging on for so long, take an unlikely point that could have been more seeing as Rodríguez was offside for Benzema’s equaliser. Betis are 14th, Madrid are four points off joint leaders Barcelona and Atlético. That’s it from me. Until next time. Bye!
90 min +3: The final minute … Marcelo hoofs it forward. Betis clear. Modric passes it forward but Isco is crowded out and concedes a foul on Pezzella. That should be it.
90 min +2: Carvajal tries to cut the ball back but it’s out of play and Betis have a goal kick.
90 min +1: Scrap that, Joaquín has gone close to winning it for the hosts. The sub skips past a leggy Kroos and he shoots towards the top corner but it drifts narrowly wide.
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90 min: We are into added time. There will be four added. Can Betis hold on? Madrid are beating down their door.
88 min: Modric delivers and Isco shoots but Adán saves again. No matter, the offside flag was up.
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87 min: Jesé squares to Ronaldo but Adán is out brilliantly to pick the ball from the Madrid player’s feet. The keeper is down injured but what a stop. A corner to come …
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86 min: Ronaldo, fed by Isco, shoots over and has a perplexed grin on his face.
82 min: Benzema tries to find a subdued Ronaldo from the left but he is closed down. I’m struggling to remember the last time Betis got out of their own half.
78 min: Rodriguez goes oh so close. Carvajal tees him up from the right and his blistering left-footed drive is well saved by Adán. The corner is taken short to Modric. He passes to Kroos, who cuts it in to Benzema and Adán saves well again. That’s his seventh save. And also Rodríguez’s last act – Jesé replaces him.
76 min: N’Diaye heads it away but only as far as Marcelo. He tries to cross to Rodríguez but it’s got too much on it and heads out harmlessly for a goal-kick.
76 min: And Betis have another injury. Cejudo, their goalscorer, is limping off slowly. Portillo is on for the final 14 minutes. And his first act will be to defend a Kroos free-kick from deep.
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74 min: And, to no surprise, Madrid are pushing for the winner now. Betis are pinned back deeper and deeper. There is no respite and it would still be a shock if they hold out.
Goal! Real Betis 1-1 Real Madrid (Benzema)
71 min: It had been coming. A lovely through ball from Kroos to Rodríguez, who might have been offside, puts the Colombian into space but instead of shooting he squares to the unamarked Benzema. He taps in from five yards. Betis are looking for the flag but it doesn’t fly and the shock is off.
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69 min: Marcelo sends a neat crossfield pass to Carvajal. He controls but shoots across goal and wide.
65 min: Carvajal replaces Danilo. If – and that is a big if – it stays the same, will it be the biggest shock of the season so far?
61 min: Petros is booked for an arm in the face of Isco near halfway. That’s a little harsh.
59 min: Adán comes out confidently to claim a Kroos free-kick from deep.
58 min: Another Betis change and it’s also forced upon Merino – Kadir is off clutching his hamstring, Joaquín is about to replace him.
54 min: No nonsense from Bruno, who hoofs the ball into Row ZZ for a corner. It’s sent in by Kroos and Rodriquez arrives completely unmarked but volleys straight at Adán.
52 min: Fabián is being wheeled off on a mobile vehicle. Dani Ceballos is on for him. Ceballos was not born during Euro 96. Let that sink in for a moment.
50 min: Oh dear! Ronaldo pulls the ball back acrobatically for Rodríguez eight yards out but he fresh air kicks it. Then Benzema shoots, it’s saved before firing over the rebound.
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49 min: Kroos shoots tamely wide from long range – although replays show it took a slight deflection. Madrid can afford to be a bit more patient than potshots from range.
47 min: Rodríguez selfishly shoots from the edge of the area, driving the ball straight at Bruno. Betis break from there and Castro is fouled by Pepe near halfway.
46 min: Ronaldo wins a corner off N’Diaye inside 45 seconds.
Peep!
46 min: Real Madrid restart. Can they come from behind or are they going to leave a big chance to close the gap slip past?
A propos of nothing, some half-time entertainment
Man calls for ambulance sirens to be banned - what a selfish pillock (via @pointlesslettrs) pic.twitter.com/RLDEfWrPlW
— Daily Mail Comments (@BestoftheMail) January 24, 2016
Half-time: Real Betis 1-0 Real Madrid
45 min: Bruno heads a Cejudo free-kick wide and that’s half-time, with no additional seconds added on.
44 min: A rare break forward sees Castro pick out Petros but the defensive midfielder reaches nosebleed territory and loses possession cheaply.
43 min: Betis are dropping deeper and deeper, but they are keeping it tight.
41 min: Ronaldo is clean through following a Marcelo pass … but he is well offside.
38 min: Fabián tries to close down Varane in the corner but commits a needless foul.
36 min: Ronaldo shoots well wide from range and in the space of four minutes Madrid have gone from no attempts to six. An equaliser cannot be too far away if this barrage continues.
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35 min: And now Benzema is denied a blatant penalty after Petros clumsily brings him to the floor. Play is waved on, Madrid win a corner and Adán picks Kroos’ delivery from the sky. That was as obvious a penalty as they come.
34 min: Pepe has missed an absolute sitter. He peels off towards the backpost from a Rodríguez corner and inexplicably heads wide from three whole yards. Where was the marking? Betis are blessed to be still ahead.
32 min: Ronaldo gets his first sight of goal after a tidy exchange with Benzema but uncharacteristically he scuffs a left-footed shot well wide. That was indeed Madrid’s first opportunity. The home support celebrate almost as much as their goal.
30 min: Benzema plays in Marcelo on his left and the Real captain’s cross is straight into the hands of Adán.
28 min: Molinero sends a hopeful punt forward and Varane’s header away is poor. The ball is collected by Fabián and he dances past Pepe only for Varane to recover strongly and get in the way before the young Betis player pulled the trigger.
25 min: Kadir heads on a Petros free-kick from deep but Navas comes out to claim.
24 min: Rodríguez controls well on the right edge of the box and tries to square for Ronaldo but Adán is out to smother. Ronaldo is momentarily off the pitch to change his boots.
23 min: Yet!
22 min: On this evidence you can only be left to wonder why Betis have been struggling so much. They are executing their gameplan perfectly, keeping a good shape and not giving Madrid a sniff at goal.
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20 min: Ronaldo is signalling to the bench for a change of footwear it seems. Real are taking control of possession but Betis are happy to defend resolutely and counter rapidly.
17 min: Kadir tries to pick out Castro but Danilo intercepts without much hassle, allowing Real to probe again through Kroos. He finds no way through, Modric tries but instead chooses to pick out Benzema. The French striker shoots from a tight angle – it’s bread and butter for Adán.
16 min: Bruno concedes a corner but it’s dealt with comfortably.
15 min: Modric picks out Ronaldo in an offside position. He still shoots after the whistle goes and the home support whistle with annoyance.
13 min: Benzema is the latest to be surrounded by three players and as Betis break Kroos sticks out a leg to bring down Petros.
11 min: Real pass it across the defence. And when they finally move forward through Marcelo Betis swarm around him, the ball deflects of the visiting defender and rolls out for a goal-kcik.
9 min: Kroos sends a poor free-kick in from the left and it’s cleared with ease.
What a way to end the drought!
Álvaro Cejudo: Is the first Real Betis player to score a goal in 638 minutes of competitive action
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) January 24, 2016
Goal! Real Betis 1-0 Real Madrid (Cejudo)
7 min: This is special. Cejudo has a shot blocked by the feet of Navas but the rebound reaches the teenager Fabián, who chests the ball down for Cejudo and he sends a magnificent volley into the top left corner from the edge of the area.
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5 min: Ronakdi gets on the ball for the first time and is met with a loud chorus of boos before being smothered by three green and white shirt, eventually losing possession.
4 min: Betis win a corner via Cejudo’s cross coming off Danilo. It’s sent towards the near post, where Rodriguez hooks it away.
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2 min: The kits are clashing somewhat on our TV pictures here but Real have monopolised possession in the first couple of minutes.
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Peep!
1 min: Real Betis get us underway, playing from left to right as we watch. They are in green and white, Real are in grey.
The teams are out and we are moments away!
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Álvaro Negredo has scored in the 93rd minute to earn Valencia a 1-1 draw at Deportivo. Gary Neville is still without a league win, though.
The cast!
Real Betis: Adán; Molinero, Pezzella, Bruno, Vargas; N’Diaye, Petros; Kadir, Fabián, Cejudo; Castro.
Subs: Giménez, Varela, Digard, Portillo, Ceballos, Joaquín, Molina.
Real Madrid: Navas; Danilo, Varane, Pepe, Marcelo; Isco, Kroos, Modric; Rodríguez, Benzema, Ronaldo.
Subs: Casilla, Nacho, Casemiro, Carvajal, Kovacic, Vázquez, Jesé.
Preamble
Real Madrid can close the gap on Barcelona and Atlético Madrid to two points with a win here against Real Betis, who have not scored in six games, not won at home in seven and are only three points above safety. Juan Merino must relish playing against the division’s highest scorers, then. Although, to give Betis credit they have conceded only 28 times – a far from awful record considering those around him have shipped 40 plus change. Heiko Westermann and Cristiano Piccini are both out through injury for the hosts while Gareth Bale’s calf problem means he is absent for a few weeks. Jese is tipped to deputise instead of James Rodríguez though. Barça won 2-1 at Málaga last night and Atlético were held to a scoreless draw at home to Sevilla. Real cannot and probably will not slip up here. Kick-off is at 7.30pm GMT, team news is imminent.
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