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| Ramos hugs Mourinho after a very difficult match |
Pepe made the lineup after being suspended in last week's match. Ozil, Kaka, Ronaldo and Higuain led the attack, but the locals put pressure up front and soon scored the opener through Jorge Molina.
Both teams played an offensive game and reached each other's boxes frequently , with Higuain netting the equaliser after receiving a fantastic long pass from Ozil (24’). Betis started to play a more defensive game and the Whites begand to dominate the encounter. Higuain and Ronaldo had two great chances to take the lead but the score was still drawn by half-time.
Referee Iturralde Gonzalez injured himself in the first half and was replaced by his fourth assistant after half-time. Both teams tried hard for a goal and Madrid took the lead through Ronaldo, whose shot following a Marcelo pass bounced off the ground and defeated the keeper (52'). Betis reacted quickly and Jefferson Montero netted an equaliser two minutes later, forcing Mourinho's men to make a comeback.
Marcelo nearly scored the winner on the 60-minute mark, but his shot was cleared by the keeper. The match became very intense with both sides looking to score a third, and a Ramos header from a corner-kick was saved by the goalie only to land at Ronaldo's feet, who netted the winner for the Whites (72').
Real had more possession from then on, but both sides kind of deflated due to the great effort they had made throughout the encounter. Granero and Callejon came on for Kaka and Higuain, and Cristiano had another chance to score but Fabricio cleared the shot once again. Benzema came on for Ozil in the final minutes and nothing much followed.
Summary
Stadium: Benito Villamarin
Attendance: 37,500
Goals: 1-0, M.10: Jorge Molina. 1-1, M.24: Higuaín. 1-2, M.52: Cristiano Ronaldo. 2-2, M.54: Jefferson Montero. 2-3, M.72: Cristiano Ronaldo.
