Villarreal CF vs Real Betis

Real Betis pulled off an impressive smash-and-grab at Estadio de la Cerámica, holding on with ten men for the best part of an hour to beat Villarreal 1-2 on the road. The standout moment was Giovani Lo Celso's ice-cold free-kick just after the restart, curled into the top corner against his former club, which he refused to celebrate out of respect. Vitor Roque had opened the scoring early, heading in from an Abde Ezzalzouli cross, before Chimy Ávila saw a contentious straight red card for a challenge on Álex Baena right before the break, replays suggesting the contact barely warranted a yellow. Betis somehow doubled their advantage moments after the restart through Lo Celso, and although Baena pulled one back for Villarreal with a clean finish, Youssouf Sabaly's goal-line clearance kept the hosts at bay. The result stings for Villarreal, extending their winless run on home soil, while Real Betis showed real character to see out the game a man down and continue their strong start to the campaign.