Europa League: Braga, Real Betis play out 1-1 first leg

Florian Grillitsch’s inventive backheel gave Braga an early lead, only for a Cucho Hernandez penalty to equalize as Braga and Real Betis played out a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final.

Betis started slowly at the Estadio Municipal de Braga but gradually found their rhythm, leaving Portugal with the tie still level ahead of the second leg at home in eight days.

Braga came close early through Ricardo Horta, before Grillitsch flicked Diego Rodrigues’ corner home in the fifth minute. Betis almost responded immediately, as Marc Bartra’s goal was ruled out for offside, and he later hit the post midway through the first half.

Both sides had further chances before halftime. Lukas Hornicek kept out Hernandez’s header, while Pau Victor missed a volley from a delicate pass by Victor Gomez.

The game changed after the hour mark when Braga defender Jean-Baptiste Gorby fouled Abde Ezzalzouli in the penalty area, allowing Hernandez to convert the resulting spot-kick into the top-left corner.

In the closing stages, both teams were cautious, though Betis came closest to a late winner when Antony curled a shot just past the top-left corner during stoppage time.

Braga had entered the match with a strong defensive record, and Hornicek could have tied the all-time record for most shutouts in a single Europa League campaign if not for Gorby’s penalty.

Hernandez’s strike also kept Betis from losing the first leg in a fourth consecutive Europa League knockout tie, leaving them in a favorable position ahead of the home leg. The result mirrored the expected goals (xG) stats, with Braga registering 1.39 xG and Betis 1.54 xG.

Stabil.Az