Granada CF vs Real Betis

A freak incident in the 35th minute disrupted Betis' momentum. Diego Conde, making his first start for the club, rushed out of his area for the third time in the half and collided heavily with his own centre-back Diego Llorente. Llorente received a knee to the head but recovered, while Conde — who had already made two questionable exits from his box — was forced off with a shoulder injury, replaced by Álvaro Valles.

Granada manager Pacheta made 10 substitutions across the second half, rotating his entire outfield. Betis, by contrast, made no changes at all — fielding the same XI for the full 90 minutes.

Betis created little after the break. Pablo García forced the only meaningful chance of the second half for the visitors, while Granada substitute Juan Diego Molina 'Stoichkov' twice went close to doubling the lead.

The match turned fractious in stoppage time. After a late challenge on Granada's Diego Hormigo, Betis defender Natan — who had been introduced in the second half — deliberately kicked the ball at the fallen opponent, earning a straight red card from referee Guzmán Mansilla in the 90+4th minute.

Owen Chukwuemeka (Granada CF) — The 18-year-old, still eligible for the Juvenil A side, scored the decisive goal with a well-timed header. His movement in the box caused Betis problems throughout his 61 minutes on the pitch.

Raúl Lizoain (Granada CF) — The veteran goalkeeper made three important saves in the first half alone, including a point-blank stop from Petit and a sharp reaction to deny Ortiz's header.

Álvaro Valles (Betis) — Thrust into action earlier than expected after Conde's injury, Valles kept a clean sheet in his 50-plus minutes. He praised the young players afterwards, saying "it's an honour to have the youngsters with us — they give that touch of excitement to the team."

José Antonio Morante (Betis) — The winger, who has been involved with Spain's U19s this summer, was Betis' most creative outlet. He admitted after the match "we need to be more demanding and give a better level."

The match was a story of Granada's efficiency against Betis' control. Granada scored from their first meaningful set-piece in the 13th minute and then absorbed pressure. Betis registered the majority of shots in the first half but failed to convert any of their chances. Granada made 10 substitutions to Betis' zero, a reflection of Pacheta's desire to give minutes to his full squad while Pellegrini kept his starting XI on the pitch for the entire contest. Four yellow cards and one red were issued, all to Betis players.

This was Betis' first defeat of pre-season after wins against German side Sportfreunde Lotte and Recreativo de Huelva. Manuel Pellegrini's side face a demanding 2026/27 campaign with a return to the UEFA Champions League, and the performance in Granada highlighted defensive frailties and a lack of cutting edge that will need addressing before the season starts.

Granada, competing in Segunda División under Pacheta, showed organisation and resilience against a side from the top flight. The Nazaríes are still in the early stages of squad building under new ownership.

Betis head to Marbella for their next training camp, with friendlies in La Línea de la Concepción before a headline fixture against Arsenal in Ireland. Granada continue their pre-season schedule with further friendlies ahead of the Segunda División campaign.