Betis 2 - Osasuna 1

Betis: Prats; Varela, Rivas, Filipescu, Luis Fernández; Marcos Assunçao, Arzu; Joaquín (Fernando 80'), Capi (Mingo 92'), Denilson; Alfonso (Joao Tomas 38'). 4-2-3-1.
Osasuna: Sanzol; Izquierdo (De Carlos 70'), Mateo, Cruchaga, Antonio López; Puñal, Alfredo (Muñoz 55'); Rivero, Iván Rosado, Moha (Gorka Brit 50'); Aloisi. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Betis: Marcos Assunçao, Arzu, Joaquín for Tais, Ito, Fernando / Osasuna: No change.

Goals:
1-0. 18. Alfonso. Headed down past keeper from Marcos Assunçao free kick.
1-1. 83. Iván Rosado. Headed ball over Prats after he blocked long Muñoz shot.
2-1. 92. Marcos Assunçao. Bent free kick over defensive wall into top corner of net.

A last minute free kick from dead ball specialist Marcos Assunçao gave Betis a 2-1 victory over Osasuna. The Brazilian midfielder has proved to be the match winner more than once this season, and he struck with another venomous shot which left Sanzol clutching at air to keep the Sevillian side in fifth place in the table.

Betis were hoping to put their defeat at Rayo Vallecano the week before behind them, and a late appeal against a further ban of two matches for Joaquín meant that Víctor Fernández could count on his young winger for this game. Within minutes he was in the action, sliding the ball across just out of the reach of Alfonso, and few minutes later the home side were ahead, this time Assunçao finding Alfonso's head with a curling free kick.

Osasuna are a dangerous side at the moment though, and Víctor ordered his men forward looking for a second goal. Sanzol saved a long shot from Arzu and Capi put another shot wide, and soon after the restart Joao Tomas, who had replaced a limping Alfonso, sent a header crashing against the bar from another Assunçao free kick.

But then Betis were hit a body blow when Denilson got himself sent off after kicking out at Izquierdo, leaving his side with ten men. Prats made good saves from Rivero and Iván Rosado as the visitors took the initiative, but the keeper could do nothing when Rosado headed the ball over him into the empty net after he had parried a long shot from Muñoz. It looked as if the Pamplona based side were going to keep up their five match unbeaten run, but then Assunçao struck to put an end to the match.