Betis 1 - Real Madrid 2

Betis: Casto; Nelson, Arzu, Juanito, Monzón (Babic 76'); Mehmet Aurelio; Damià (Pavone 66'), Emaná (Ilic 85'), Capi, Sergio García; José Marí. 4-1-4-1.
Madrid: Casillas; Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Heinze, Marcelo; Van der Vaart (Drenthe 80'), Diarrá, De la Red (Javi García 69'); Raúl (Miguel Torres 59'), Van Nistelrooy, Robben. 4-3-3.

Team changes: Betis: Monzón, Damià for Fernando Vega, Mark González / Madrid: Sergio Ramos, Heinze, Van Nistelrooy for Miguel Torres, Cannavaro, Higuaín.

Goals:
0-1. 18. Heinze. Got on the end of Van der Vaart free kick to head past Casto.
1-1. 54. Sergio García. On the rebound after Casillas saved his penalty kick.
1-2. 91. Van Nisterooy. Ran on to Robben pass and struck shot past keeper.

Yellow cards: Van der Vaart 37', Marcelo 39', Sergio García 43', 82', Diarrà 61', Casillas 74', Pavone 79', Juanito 87' / red cards: Marcelo 53', Sergio García 82'.

Real Madrid move up to second spot, just a point behind Villarreal after beating Betis 1-2 in injury time. Bernd Schuster's side started strongly, Van Nistelrooy and Pepe going close before Heinze headed them in to the lead from Van der Vaart's free kick. And only a couple of first class saves by Casto from De la Red prevented the scoreline from increasing. Emaná could have levelled it just before the interval though with a snapshot which Casillas managed to push on to the post.

Casto was in action again immediately after the restart to keep out Van Nistelrooy's header. But ten minutes later Damià picked up an excellent pass from Capi and Marcelo brought him down, giving away a penalty and getting himself sent off in to the bargain. Casillas saved Sergio García's spot kick, but the ex Barcelona and Zaragoza forward drilled the ball back in on the rebound to level the scores.

After that it was all Betis, Casillas saving again from Sergio García and Mehmet Aurelio, José Marí and Capi shooting just wide and Sergio Ramos heading off the line from a wide Damià free kick. But with ten minutes to go Sergio García got himself sent off after picking up a second booking for bringing down Drenthe, and with the game already in injury time Robben picked up a long throw from Casillas and played the ball through for Van Nistelrooy to run on and beat Casto with an angled shot.