Copa Del Rey: Real Betis slams Valencia in penalties, secures title

Real Betis won the Spanish Copa del Rey on penalties in Seville on Saturday, defeating Valencia 5-4 on penalties after a dramatic final ended 1-1 after extra time.

Yunus Musah of Valencia blazed over in the shootout, allowing Juan Miranda to score the game-winning penalty at La Cartuja, giving Betis their fourth major trophy in their 115-year history.

Borja Iglesias put Betis ahead, but Hugo Duro equalized for Valencia just before halftime, and neither team could find a winner in the second half or extra time.

But, thanks to Musah’s blunder and Miranda’s cool demeanor, Betis won the cup for the third time in their hometown, following their victories in 1977 and 2005.

After being presented with the trophy by King Felipe VI of Spain, Betis captain Joaquin raised it.

“I’m crying tears of joy and tears of emotion,” Joaquin added. “Winning a cup again, the Copa del Rey, as beautiful as we know it is, is what we all desired.”

Joaquin, 40-year-old winger who debuted for Betis at the age of 19 in 2000 and appeared in the final 17 years ago, came on in the 86th minute and scored a penalty.

It’ll be interesting to see if he thinks this is an appropriate finale to what has been a wonderful career.

“I’m going to savor the moment,” Joaquin stated.

“We are Copa del Rey champions, and we dedicate this to all of the individuals who have worked with us – the coaching staff, masseurs, cooks, waiters — all of the unsung heroes who deserve just as much praise as we do.”

Many had predicted a stylistic clash, with Betis’ flamboyant approach tasked with breaking down Valencia’s grit and tenacity, but in truth, both teams contributed equally to an open and thrilling final.

“Football can be beautiful and brutal at the same time.”It aches,” Valencian Jose Gaya stated.

It was only the second final in 14 years that did not feature any of Real Madrid, Barcelona, or Atletico Madrid, and while Betis and Valencia are hardly minor league clubs in Spain, the significance of the occasion for both clubs could not be overstated.

Valencia won the Copa del Rey in 2019, defeating Barcelona in the final, but the team has been more preoccupied with avoiding relegation in recent seasons due to a fire-sale of key players under the controversial ownership of Peter Lim.

Betis, on the other hand, have spent the last three seasons in the second tier after winning it in 2005, the same year they finished fourth in La Liga, a feat they seek to duplicate this season but have never done since.

In the 11th minute, Betis took the lead thanks to a clever move along the right flank that saw Nabil Fekir sneak past Hector Bellerin, who floated a magnificent cross into the area.

Borja soared high and straight, his connection was powerful enough to defeat Giorgi Mamardashvili.

Valencia was trembling, as Betis continued to attack. Borja went wide and then almost latched onto Mouctar Diakhaby’s underhit backpass, forcing Mamardashvili to scramble clear.

Betis push waned, and Valencia struck in the 30th minute, a superb counter-attack giving them a footing in the final.

Carlos Soler sent a brilliant first-time pass from the right wing into central midfield, where Ilaix Moriba had room to progress.

Duro was speeding away, but the margin was narrowing, so Moriba feathered the ball through for his colleague, who scooped the ball into the net with a wonderful finish.

The second stanza became increasingly frenzied, with Betis regaining the upper hand in an end-to-end battle.

Borja’s shot was stopped by Valencia’s Gabriel Paulista, but Juanmi’s drive hit the post, beating Mamardashvili but not the frame.

In the final ten minutes, Fekir came close to winning it but was stopped by Mamardashvili’s legs, while Soler had an opportunity in injury time following a misjudged pass by Bellerin but Claudio Bravo saved him.

Joaquin had entered the fray with a fairytale in mind, but no one could come up with a winner, and the quality of the game deteriorated in extra time as exhaustion and cramp set in.

Valencia’s Soler and Uros Racic scored confident penalties, which were equaled by Betis’ Willian Jose and Joaquin, despite Mamardashvili saving Joaquin’s attempt.

Goncalo Guedes and Andres Guardado were flawless, but Musah made a mistake by firing over to allow Betis to enter.

Miranda has a chance to win it after Cristian Tello and Gaya both scored. Mamardashvili leaped to the right, and the ball sailed to the left.