Real Madrid 3 - Betis 1

Madrid: Casillas (César 54'); Raúl Bravo, Iván Helguera, Samuel, Roberto Carlos; Beckham (Borja 90'), Gravesen, Figo, Solari (Guti 63');Owen, Ronaldo. 4-4-2.
Betis: Doblas; Varela, Melli, Juanito, Luis Fernández; Arzu (Denilson 67'), Benjamín; Joaquín, Edu, Pablo Niño; Oliveira. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Madrid: Iván Helguera, Solari, Ronaldo for Pavón, Zidane, Portillo / Betis: Varela, Juanito, Benjamín, Pablo Niño for Lembo, Rivas, Cañas, Marcos Assunçao,.

Goals:
1-0. 10. Owen. Collected Solari cross and forced shot through legs of Doblas.
2-0. 40. Roberto Carlos. Drove shot into net after Beckham indirect free kick.
2-1. 60. Edu. Picked up Varela pass from right and turned defender to score.
3-1. 62. Iván Helguera. Header wide of keeper after Solari headed corner back in.

Real Madrid beat Betis 3-1 in the last match on Wednesday night to close the gap on Barcelona to six points and leave their opponents out of the European spots. The first chance of the match fell to the visitors though, Joaquín (linked once again with a possible move to the capital side) jinking past three defenders but chipping the ball at Casillas. But a few minutes later Michael Owen opened the scoring when he collected Solari's cross with his back to goal, and forced the ball past a defender and under the legs of Doblas on the turn.

The Andalusians tried their best to come back, and Casillas had to be at his best to keep out efforts from Edu and then Benjamín later in the half. But four minutes before the break referee Iturralde González controversially awarded an indirect free kick to Madrid inside the penalty area for a supposed back pass by Luis Fernández to Doblas, and Beckham rolled the ball to Roberto Carlos for him to blast it home at a speed variously reported between 140 and154 Kph.

The home side were struck a blow when Casillas limped off soon after the restart, César coming on for only his second league appearance of the season. Owen sent one effort over the bar, and then failed to turn the ball in to the net after a shot from Ronaldo came back off the post (although the play was subsequently ruled out for offside). Soon afterwards though Edu picked up a ball in from Varela to turn his marker and beat César to narrow the gap.

It only took Madrid two minutes to restore the two goal cushion, although once again the goal was hotly protested by Serra Ferrer and his players. Iván Helguera was the man on the scoresheet when he steered the ball into the top corner after Solari headed back a partly cleared Figo corner, but Michael Owen was in an offside position and appeared to be interfering with play.

A few minutes later Ronaldo broke clear but was closed down as he hesitated on the ball, provoking whistles from some parts of the crowd. The Brazilian striker has not scored now in almost two months, and has not been at his best since his recent marriage in France. As the game neared the end Betis too had a couple of chances, Oliveira beating a defender with a "cola de vaca" dribble but unable to score past César, and then being closed down by makeshift right back Raúl Bravo. The three points stayed at home though, and the chase for the league title is back on.