La Liga Round-Up: Real Betis return to Champions League after 21 years
La Liga Round-Up: Real Betis return to Champions League after 21 years With just three games to go, La Liga kicked off Matchday 35 with some thrilling encounters on Tuesday night, with major wins for Levante and Real Betis. Celta Vigo 2-3 Levante: Luis Castro march continues Levante finished the night outside the relegation zone after a major step towards safety with a shock win away to what was a Champions League-chasing Celta Vigo . The hosts took the lead after just four minutes, when Ferran Jutgla beat a defender in the box, and slotted into the bottom corner.
Levante then dominated the rest of the half though, applying pressure in the Celta half. Just before the break, a rocket from distance was not kept out by Andrei Radu, one that he would in hindsight push over with two hands. The second half started in much the same fashion, with Javi Rueda playing a perfect ball from the right wing position which Jutgla tapped home at the back post.
Again Levante were the positive side from that point on though, and after an hour, centre-back Adrian de la Fuente stepped into midfield and rifled a goal of the season contender into the top corner from 30 yards. Six minutes later, Roger Brugue headed in a corner to give Levante the lead for the first time. Image via Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey (Getty Images) A late onslaught from Celta was not enough though.
Brugue hit the inside of the post on the counter attack, the closest either side came, but it was his side that sank to the floor in celebration. They move temporarily out of the drop zone into 16th on 39 points following an enormous comeback. Celta’s hopes of a 5th-place finish and Champions League football were doused definitively – they remain 6th and in line for a Europa League spot.
Real Betis 2-1 Elche: Real Betis return to Champions League Real Betis secured a return to the Champions League with a home victory over Elche at La Cartuja. Things started well for Betis, with Cucho Hernandez picking out the corner from distance after just eight minutes. Elche came back into the game though, and five minutes before the break a deflected Hector Fort effort looped into the corner.