Saturday31 October 2026English edition
Talas & Talasim
Arabic
Report · La Liga

Two Isco deliveries give Betis the lead Málaga could only halve

Real Betis beat Málaga 2-1, and Isco, born in Málaga, put the ball in for both of their goals. Adrián Niño pulled one back in the second half, but Málaga have now gone 11 league games without a win.

Editorial board · 31 October 2026
A packed stadium in green and white seen from the upper tier, with flags lining the pitch before kick-off.
Real Betis supporters at the Estadio de la Cartuja before a league match against Girona in November 2025. Photo: Anual / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Real Betis beat Málaga 2-1, and Isco, born in Málaga, put the ball in for both of their goals. Adrián Niño pulled one back in the second half, but Málaga have now gone 11 league games without a win.

Half timeFull time
Real Betis · 4-2-3-1Málaga · 4-1-4-1Álvaro VallesVallesHéctor BellerínBellerínMarc BartraBartraNatanNatanFran GarcíaGarcíaPablo FornalsFornalsMarc RocaRocaRodrigo RiquelmeRiquelmeIscoIscoAbde EzzalzouliEzzalzouliTroy ParrottParrottAlfonso HerreroHerreroCarlos PugaPugaFernando CaleroCaleroEinar GalileaGalileaRafa GarridoGarridoRamón EnríquezEnríquezDavid LarrubiaLarrubiaCarlos DotorDotorDaniel LorenzoLorenzoAdam AznouAznouAdrián NiñoNiño
· Confirmed 16:35 UTC · Line-ups: espn.com

Betis pressed from the start but had the lead only in the 38th minute, when Marc Bartra headed in Isco's free kick from the right. Just before half-time Isco put another ball into the area, and Pablo Fornals took it at the edge of the box and shot past Alfonso Herrero.

Málaga's reply came in the 68th minute. Adam Aznou's effort came off the Betis defence and Niño was there to finish it.

Abde Ezzalzouli then hit the crossbar with a free kick, and at the other end Álvaro Valles saved Chupete's header from a Rafa Rodríguez cross with Málaga pressing for the equaliser.

Betis have 23 points and stay fourth, one behind Real Madrid before they play, and go to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Wednesday. Málaga stay bottom on five points, from five draws and six defeats.