The League
3:15 p.mFebruary 21, 2026
Regular season – 25
La Cartoixa Stadium in Seville
Referee: Juan Martínez Munuera, Spain
Real Betis
Rayo Vallecano
Turn off the spoiler to see match stats
1.83
Expected Goals (xG)
0.84
Passing by
335 (85%)
Accurate passes
396 (86%)
Turn off the spoiler to see the events of the match
1
G
Alvaro Valles
6.9
12
d
Ricardo Rodríguez
6.5
4
d
NATHAN
6.3
d
Diego Llorente
45+2′ missing
24
d
Aitor Ruibal (C)
6.6
15
m
Alvaro Fidalgo
6.9
21
m
Marc Roca
6.6
m
Pablo Fornals
29′ Stumbled
10
F
Abdessamad Ezzalzouli
6.9
F
Cedric Bakambu
16′
7
F
Anthony
7.2
The League Standings – First Division
Qualification/Relegation
- Promotion – Champions League (League phase)
- Promotion – Europa League (League phase)
- Promotion – Conference League (ranking)
- Relegation – LaLiga2
Real Betis and Rayo Vallecano shared the spoils in a hard-fought 1-1 draw, with Cédric Bakambu and Isi Palazón exchanging goals in a spirited La Liga game.
Real Betis and Rayo Vallecano battled to a 1-1 draw in a fiery La Liga match on Saturday afternoon. Cédric Bakambu’s first goal for Betis was canceled out by Isi Palazón, securing the distribution of points in a match full of intensity.
Played at the iconic Estadio La Cartuja, the result saw fifth-placed Real Betis miss out on a chance to strengthen their European challenge. Rayo Vallecano, sitting 17th, got a valuable away point in their fight against relegation.
The home side started strongly, taking advantage early on. Cédric Bakambu found the back of the net in the 16th minute, guiding home a clinical finish to put Betis ahead after a period of sustained pressure.
The match quickly turned into a brawling affair. Rayo’s Nobel Mendy received the first yellow card for holding on in the 27th minute. Pablo Fornals from Betis followed two minutes later for a foul.
The physicality continued when Rayo’s Gerard Gumbau was shown a yellow card for a rough tackle in the 36th minute. Rayo pushed for an equaliser, which came shortly before the break.
Isi Palazón restored parity for Rayo Vallecano in the 42nd minute. Andrei Rațiu provided the assist and set up Palazón to beat the Betis goalkeeper. Diego Llorente also saw yellow in stoppage time in the first half, highlighting the combative nature of the game.
The break offered a brief respite from the intense action. Both managers likely emphasized discipline and tactical adjustments as the score remained at 1-1.
Real Betis made an immediate change at half-time, bringing on Cucho Hernández for goalscorer Bakambu. Rayo made a double substitution in the 61st minute, introducing Francisco Pérez and Pathe Ciss.
The second part mirrored the first in its combative nature. Pacha received a yellow card for a foul in the 63rd minute. The new substitutions on both benches aimed to find a winning advantage.
Betis has introduced Álvaro Fidalgo, Nélson Deossa and Víctor Gómez in quick succession. Despite late changes and increased urgency, neither side could break the deadlock. Deossa and Gómez received yellow cards at the end of the game.
Real Betis finished with a higher expected goal (xG) of 1.83 compared to Rayo’s 0.84, indicating they had more clear-cut chances. The two teams had three shots on goal out of a total of 14 for Betis and 12 for Rayo. Rayo had slightly more possession at 54%.
This hard-fought draw leaves Betis in fifth place, missing the chance to move away from their European rivals. Rayo Vallecano, however, will see this visit as an important step in their fight to avoid relegation, a frequent outcome in the history of the head-to-head between these two teams.
