Miracle in Madrid as backs-to-the-wall Betis bags points
MADRID — Antonio Sanabria struck deep into stoppage time to hand Real Betis a shock 1-0 win away to Real Madrid on Wednesday as the European champion failed to score for the first time in 74 matches.
Defeat leaves Real seven points adrift of leader Barcelona just five games into its defense of La Liga, having failed to win in all three home games so far this season.
Even the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo on his return from a five-match domestic suspension couldn’t break the Seville side’s resistance as former Madrid goalkeeper Antonio Adan produced stunning saves from Isco, Toni Kroos and Gareth Bale.
And Betis snatched all three points in the 93rd minute when Sanabria powered home a header from Antonio Barragan’s cross.
“Last year we won games we didn’t deserve to and now it is the reverse,” said Real coach Zinedine Zidane.
“The league is very long, in the end we’ll see how it goes but we need to be calm and we know we will have better days.”
It is the first time Betis has won at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium since 1998.
“It is impossible to win here without suffering,” said Betis boss Quique Setien.
“To win against a team like this, your goalie has to have a spectacular game and you have to have luck.”
Ronaldo was recalled among three changes to the Madrid side from Sunday’s 3-1 win at Real Sociedad as Zidane named his strongest available XI.
However, it was the visitor which made the stronger start and should have gone in front when Sanabria’s goal-bound effort was cleared off the line by Dani Carvajal.
Real keeper Keylor Navas also produced a stunning save to tip Fabian Ruiz’s rising drive over the bar.
At the other end, Adan denied Isco just before the interval and Betis had to resist an onslaught after the break.
Ronaldo blazed wildly over from Bale’s inch-perfect cross before Kroos forced Adan into another finger-tip stop.
However, the 30-year-old Adan’s finest moment came in denying Bale in spectacular fashion 15 minutes from time as he turned the Welshman’s backheeled volley onto the post.
Betis had the ball in the net as the game entered five minutes of added time, but Sanabria’s effort was correctly ruled out for offside.
However, Betis broke with purpose minutes later and this time Sarabia wasn’t to be denied with a bullet header from Antonio Barragan’s cross.
Atletico on a roll
Earlier, Atletico Madrid celebrated being awarded the honor of hosting the 2019 Champions League final with a 2-1 win at Athletic Bilbao to move up to third.
The visitor needed to rely on a brilliant penalty save from Jan Oblak to deny Aritz Aduriz just before halftime.
Angel Correa opened the scoring 10 minutes into the second half by finishing off a flowing move involving Antoine Griezmann and Saul Niguez.
And Yannick Carrasco secured the three points with an angled finish from another Griezmann through-ball 17 minutes from time before Raul Garcia netted a late consolation for the host.
UEFA awarded its showpiece event for next season to Atletico’s new Wanda Metropolitano stadium earlier in the day.
Atletico had won its first league fixture at its new 68,000-capacity home by beating Malaga 1-0 last weekend.
And the feel-good factor around Los Rojiblancos continued on Wednesday with a commanding display in its fifth away trip in six games so far this season.
“It is another important step for the club. Hopefully on the field we can match the growth of the club,” said Atletico coach Diego Simeone.
“We are making an enormous effort. We have played five games away from home and the response has been positive.”
Sevilla moved up to second spot, two points behind Barca, as Jesus Navas scored the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win over Las Palmas.
Alaves remains without a point or even a goal after five games as Luisinho’s winner handed Deportivo la Coruna a 1-0 win for its first victory of the season.
Leganes stays in the top half of the standings, in ninth place, after a 0-0 draw at home to Girona.