First Division - Day 8

Betis 0 - Mallorca 1

Betis: Contreras; Melli, Juanito, Lembo, Romero; Wagner (Nano 36'), Vogel, Rivera, Edu (Capi 61'); Robert (Xisco 58'), Sobis. 4-4-2.
Mallorca: Prats; Varela, Ballesteros, Nunes, Fernando Navarro; Jonas Gutiérrez (Víctor 58'), Basinas, Jordi, Jankovic; Arango (Kome 82'); Diego Tristán (Maxi López 58'). 4-4-1-1.

Team changes: Betis: Contreras, Lembo, Vogel, Sobis for Doblas, Nano, Miguel Angel, Odonkor / Mallorca: Jankovic for Pisculichi.

Goals:
0-1. 78. Jankovic. Low shot wide of Contreras after Arango back-heeled free kick.

A 0-1 scoreline between Betis and Mallorca, a result which leaves the home side further down in the drop zone and the visitors level with Villarreal in midtable. The Andalusians played over half the match with ten men after Lembo was shown a rigorous straight red card by referee Lizondo Cortés a few minutes before the interval. The defender lost the ball in midfield to Arango and then held him back from advancing on goal.

Arango was once again Mallorca's best player though, going close with a header and another shot soon afterwards. And with twelve minutes to go he caught the defence napping when he rolled a free kick behind him rather than playing it forward, allowing Jankovic to blast a low shot past Contreras.

Betis hardly reacted, and at the end of the match angry fans turned on the directors' box and demanded that major shareholder and ex president Manuel Ruíz de Lopera leave the club. Don Manolo wasn't there, but he surely got the message. The first to go though could be Irureta, who needs to get a result soon or he could be packing his bags.