Betis 3 - Alavés 0

Betis: Doblas; Varela, Melli, Juanito, Luis Fernández (Rivas 63'); Marcos Assunçao, Rivera; Joaquín, Edu, Xisco (Juanlu 86'); Fernando (Arzu 75'). 4-2-3-1.
Alavés: Costanzo; Coromina, Sarriegi, Juanito, Lacen (Aloisi 70'); Astudillo, Carpintero; Edu Alonso, Jandro, Nené; Bodipo (Wesley 55'). 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Betis: Xisco, Fernando for Rivas, Oscar López / Alavés: Coromina for Poli.

Goals:
1-0. 45. Fernando. Shot low past Costanzo after Edu laid ball in from goal line.
2-0. 64. Xisco. Ran through past two defenders to shoot wide of keeper.
3-0. 85. Joaquín. Cut in from left and fired shot under keeper from edge of area.

Betis coach Serra Ferrer was a happy man after his side beat Alavés 3-0 to move to the brink of getting out of the relegation zone. The Andalusians had started the day at the bottom of the table, but their first win in over two months left their opponents in last place with only one point out of their last five games, and the home side above Cádiz and just behind Athletic Bilbao on goal difference.

It was the visitors who started the better of the two though, Bodipo hitting the side netting when he should have scored, and Nené having a penalty kick saved by Doblas after the Brazilian forward was tripped by Juanito in the area. But Joaquín went close later in the half as the hosts stepped up a gear, and on the stroke of half time Joaquín and Edu combined to set up Fernando for the opening goal.

That gave them the confidence they were lacking, and twenty minutes in to the second half Xisco picked up a square pass from Joaquín to run through past two defenders and steer a shot wide of Costanzo. And Joaquín brought another good save out of the keeper before he finally got his name on the scoresheet five minutes from the end, collecting a pass from Edu and cutting in to shoot low into the net.