Sportfreunde Lotte vs Real Betis

The half-time XI change. The first 45 minutes were competent but lacked incision in the final third. The wholesale switch — introducing Pablo García, Deossa, Iker Losada, and Bartra among others — immediately injected sharper movement and a higher tempo. Two goals in the first seven minutes of the second half put the game beyond reach and gave Cousillas the data he wanted from the entire squad.

• Pablo García (Real Betis) — ⭐ Player of the match. The academy forward scored twice (47', 84') and almost assisted a third. His movement from the right flank caused problems all half, and his finishing was composed on both occasions. A statement performance for a young player pushing for first-team minutes.

• Nelson Deossa (Real Betis) — Operating as a false nine, the Colombian won the penalty with a clever turn and converted it himself. According to Estadio Deportivo, his future remains uncertain with negotiations ongoing for a move to Vasco da Gama, but his contribution here was decisive.

• Pablo Fornals (Real Betis) — Ran the first half from midfield, creating three chances and forcing the issue with his passing range and movement. Had a goal ruled out for offside and was unlucky not to register an assist.

• Fran García (Real Betis) — Impressive on his debut after joining from Real Madrid. The left-back marauded forward regularly, had three attempts on goal in the first half, and showed the attacking intent that Betis will rely on this season.

Betis dominated possession throughout, as expected against a side from Germany's Regionalliga West (tier four). The first half's 0-0 scoreline flattered Lotte slightly — Betis created several half-chances but lacked the final pass. The second half told a different story: three goals from just 10 minutes of sustained pressure after the restart, with Pablo García's brace from 2.5 combined expected goals (estimated from the quality of chances). Sportfreunde Lotte offered little in attack; their only effort of note came from Julien Gabriel Kurowski, which Guilherme Fernandes saved comfortably.

For Real Betis, this was the first of their pre-season friendlies during their training camp in Germany, which began on 8 July. Manager Manuel Pellegrini was absent — Rubén Cousillas took charge — after leaving the camp early for personal reasons, as confirmed by the club. Isco also returned to Seville ahead of schedule for family reasons.

The two summer signings so far — Fran García and Facundo Bernal (Uruguayan midfielder, from Defensa y Justicia) — each played 45 minutes and made positive early impressions. The clearout of Pellegrini's squad is still in progress, with Deossa's potential departure to Vasco da Gama one of several ongoing negotiations.

For Betis, this is a season of rare significance: they will play Champions League football for the first time in 21 years. Every pre-season minute is about building rhythm and sharpness for that campaign.

Sportfreunde Lotte, for their part, used the fixture as a high-quality test against LaLiga opposition ahead of their Regionalliga West season, which continues in August.

A professional, controlled start to pre-season from Betis against limited opposition. The first half lacked a cutting edge, but the second-half XI — particularly Pablo García and Deossa — showed the quality gap clearly. The real tests will come against stronger opponents in the coming weeks, but for a first run-out, Cousillas and Pellegrini (once back) will be satisfied with the clean sheet, the goals, and the debuts of their new arrivals.