by The ‘green and white’ experienced firsthand the lack of creativity that players like Nabil Fekir do propose.. Dinamo Zagreb, well organized in both attack and defense, played their cards and knew how to take advantage of the few opportunities they had and, above all, the one that decided the match from the penalty spot.
Betis had a groundbreaking start, with ability to anticipate plays and recoveries to surprise the counter. Nabil Fekir was close to transforming the best chance of the first half. A volley that the Dinamo Zagreb goalkeeper managed to block. But the rest of the match, the Franco-Algerian disappeared. Pezzella also wanted to try his luck, who despite being a defender shows that his job does not exempt him from venturing out and finishing plays.
The party had no owner and Manuel Pellegrini’s men lost control of the only long possessions that put the visitors in minimal trouble. Despite the lack of forcefulness on the part of the Croatian defense, Jakirovic’s men settled in their own field with the conviction of someone who assures that no one would flank the area.
Betis – Dinamo Zagreb /EFE
With those same ones, Dinamo decided to take a step forward and counterattack. It should be said that if he did not manage to hit more, it was due to his own demerit and not to the merit of Betis. The Andalusians were well positioned, but without showing security in the face of the rival’s arrivals.
Apart from a shot from Bulat, the Croats did not generate too much, but they did manage to precipitate losses for the green and white with suffocating pressure. The absence of Fekir’s magic suggested that Betis loses a lot without his quality. The Non-existent production and the monotony of the game made it difficult to create chances in the three-quarter zone.
Fekir denied and Betis condemned
Fekir lamented with a closed corner that Chadi Riad would not be able to connect and minutes later Pellegrini tried to shake up the match with a triple substitution. The entry of Bellerín, Assane and Marc Roca was a declaration of intentions of what the ‘heliopolitans’ had to change if they wanted to extract oil.
Yes ok The changes did not bear fruit in the case of BetisThe Croatians finished carbureting with a double change. PetkovicBefore being replaced, he played a fundamental role in diving into space, protecting the ball and scoring the winning goal. After the VAR review, the referee pointed to Chadi Riad’s handball and the Dinamo striker did not forgive from the spot.
Riyadh itself had the option to reply with a header that Nevistic took and a few moments later, also Willian José starring in a foul against the post. The Green and Whites will have to show a better image in the return leg if they want to stay alive in Europe.
