Betis: Fabricio; Nelson, Paulao, Dorado, Nacho;
Salva Sevilla (Santa Cruz 73'), Beñat, Iriney (Cañas 76'),
Jefferson Montero; Jorge Molina (Pozuela 64'), Rubén Castro. 4-4-2.
Madrid: Casillas; Arbeloa, Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Marcelo;
Khedira, Xabi Alonso; Özil (Benzema 87'), Kaká (Granero 74'),
Cristiano Ronaldo; Higuaín (Callejón 77'). 4-2-3-1.
Goals:
1-0. 10. Jorge Molina. Picked up Rubén Castro
pass and fired shot past Casillas.
1-1. 24. Higuaín. Ran on to long
Özil pass and struck angled shot inside near post.
1-2. 52. Ronaldo.
Turned shot past Fabricio after Marcelo played ball across.
2-2. 55.
Montero. Drilled shot back past Casillas after Arbeloa chested out corner.
2-3. 72. Ronaldo. Volleyed shot back in to net after keeper saved Ramos
header.
Yellow cards: Iriney 34', Kaká 36', Higuaín 37', Arbeloa 91'.
Real Madrid beat Betis 2-3 in a hard fought game on Saturday evening to keep up their push for title. The Andalusians took the lead through Jorge Molina in the tenth minute after Nacho and Rubén Castro combined to set him up. Higuaín equalised a few minutes later after Özil put him through, but Casillas had to be at his best to tip a Salva Sevilla free kick on to the crossbar soon afterwards. Before the half time whistle Cristiano Ronaldo beat the offside trap only to shoot wide, but six minutes after the restart he put Mourinho's side in front after Marcelo lifted the ball across for him to turn a shot past Fabricio. Betis levelled the scores again, Jefferson Montero drilling a shot past Casillas after Arbeloa could only chest a corner in to his path, and the visiting keeper did well to keep out Castro and Montero minutes later. However Ronaldo won it for Madrid in the end after Fabricio could only push out a Sergio Ramos header from Kaká's corner, although the locals felt they were unlucky not to have at least one penalty after Xavi Alonso and then Sergio Ramos both handled in the area. As Mourinho said in the post-match interview, it could have gone either way, but his team won it to extend the gap over Barcelona once again to thirteen points pending their game on Sunday.