Real Murcia 1-2 Betis Deportivo
Murcia falls to Betis’ B team and plunges into relegation trouble
The granas are now just three points above the drop zone to Segunda RFEF with two matchdays remaining in the season.
Real Murcia suffered an unexpected 1-2 defeat at home against Betis Deportivo, leaving their survival in Primera RFEF far from secure.
Curro Torres’ side, who dominated large portions of the match, failed to convert their chances – something the visitors did effectively. For Betis’ reserves, the clash was a true final: anything less than three points would have effectively sealed their relegation to Segunda RFEF.
The match at Enrique Roca began with clear Murcia dominance. The hosts took control from the start, creating opportunities such as a shot from Juan Carlos Real and a header from Moyita that missed the target.
The game progressed slowly, but Murcia’s superiority remained evident. Juan Carlos Real orchestrated play from midfield, while Joel Jorquera was a constant threat down the left flank. Yet the goals eluded the home side.
Betis, however, found the net with their first real chance. A cross from the flank reached Óscar Masqué, who fired with his left foot past Gazzaniga to give the visitors the lead in the 42nd minute.
Murcia’s problems doubled shortly after when Héctor Pérez conceded a penalty for a foul on Morante Jr. – the Betis youngster brought down after a fine individual run. Pablo García, a regular in the first team, converted the spot kick to give Betis Deportivo a two-goal advantage.
Just when all seemed lost, with first-half injury time already elapsed, Juan Carlos Real latched onto a rebound to pull one back on the stroke of halftime, calming tensions – though the home fans greeted the interval with timid whistles (1-2).
After the break, Curro Torres’ side pounded the Betis area. Pedro Benito smashed a shot against the crossbar from a low cross. Despite their efforts, Murcia failed to convert their chances, just as in the first half, as time slipped away and the situation grew worse.
Real Murcia was losing at home again, and the whistles and shouts from the crowd grew louder, demanding more effort. That effort, however, went unrewarded. In the closing minutes, Pedro Benito struck the woodwork once more. Frustrated by the poor run of play, many home fans began streaming out of the stadium.
The referee added nine minutes of stoppage time, but Murcia could not capitalize and ultimately fell 1-2 to the Betis B team. With this defeat, Curro Torres’ side are now firmly in the relegation fight, sitting just three points above Nàstic – though fortunately for Murcia, Nàstic lost to Tarazona.
The season’s final stretch has become a nightmare for Real Murcia, who are turning in a campaign to forget.
**Line-ups**
**Real Murcia:** Gazzaniga, Cristo Romero, Héctor Pérez (Palmberg, m.84), Jorge Sánchez, David Vicente, Moyita, Oscar Gil, Juan Carlos Real (V. Narro, m.71), Joel Jorquera (A. Bustos, m.80), Pedro Benito, Flakus.
**Betis Deportivo:** Manu González, Forns (Busto, m.89), Elyad Zidane, Pablo García, Dani Pérez (R. Marina, m.71), Aitor Gismera, Jorge Oreiro, Borja Alonso (Sorroche, m.78), Morante Jr. (Sosu, m.89), Óscar Masqué (Bladi, m.78), Iván Corralejo.
**Goals:** 0-1 Masqué (42), 0-2 Pablo García (45+3′), 1-2 Juan Carlos Real (45+5′).