Real Betis - Rayo Vallecano finish 1-1 after two lengthy VAR interventions and 14 minutes added

The Real Betis - Rayo Vallecano match ended 1-1 at La Cartuja in a game defined by two extensive VAR reviews that produced a cumulative 14 minutes of added time. The result halted Betis’s run of three consecutive wins and left emotions high after missed chances, injuries and contested referee decisions.

Real Betis - Rayo Vallecano: goals, chances and key moments

Bakambu opened the scoring for Betis after a Ruibal cross was cleared by Batalla and the rebound fell to the striker, who converted the chance. Isi levelled late in the first half with a close-range finish from a precise Ratiu centre. Betis’s Antony forced a crucial save from Batalla in the extended stoppage, when he missed a headed chance that would have made it 2-1 at about the 90th minute; the goalkeeper’s intervention preserved the 1-1 draw.

Earlier, Mendy came close with a header and Antony had another opportunity after dribbling past Batalla but failed to finish cleanly. The Rayo threatened at moments through Ilias, Isi and Ciss, and at times controlled possession while Betis produced the more dangerous entries into the box.

VAR interventions and Martínez Munuera

Two protracted VAR episodes defined the match. The first occurred around the 48th minute when an action involving Mendy and Cucho Hernández on the edge of the area was reviewed; Martínez Munuera ruled a foul outside the box and the on-field decision stood. The second, at about the 86th minute, involved Valentín Gómez clearing the ball and then contacting the ankle of Ratiu in an incident that appeared to be on the goal line. Pablo González Fuertes, in charge of the VAR, called the match officials to review the action. After a review of more than four minutes, Martínez Munuera again upheld the initial decision, ruling no penalty and electing not to send off Valentín.

Those two stoppages contributed to a 14-minute added period. One account recorded the full match duration as 104 minutes, while another assessment counted nearly 120 minutes when both added periods were combined, reflecting differing tallies of the extended stoppages.

Player injuries: Bakambu, Ruibal and the return of Chimy and Cucho Hernández

Manager Manuel Pellegrini confirmed that Bakambu could not continue into the second half after suffering a strong blow to his thigh; Ruibal received a similar treatment and was also unable to finish. Both players left the field, and Cucho Hernández, who had returned to the squad that day alongside Chimy, was introduced in the second half despite not being ready for a full 45 minutes.

Reactions from Pellegrini, Llorente and Íñigo Pérez

Pellegrini criticised the VAR interventions as “an interference unnecessary” that interrupted the flow of the match, while also praising the referee’s composure in reviewing decisions on the monitor. Defender Llorente publicly praised Isi for acknowledging an action as part of the game’s inertia and lamented the repeated stoppages, saying the VAR’s interventions did a disservice to the rhythm of football. Rayo coach Íñigo Pérez chose not to dwell on the arbitration, but highlighted that his team defended well and deserved something from the fixture.

Álvaro García, squad context and competition implications

Álvaro García, marking a club appearance milestone, stressed the value of away points for a Rayo side that needs to secure results as it approaches other commitments, including a Conference tie referenced as coming after a period of “clean weeks. ” For Betis, the draw ended a three-match winning streak and left the team in need of points as it eyes European ambitions; the point was framed as insufficient ahead of the local derby.

What makes this notable is how the lengthy VAR episodes altered momentum: long delays at roughly the 48th and 86th minutes led directly to extensive added time in which Antony’s late chance was denied, turning a probable Betis victory into a shared point and leaving both clubs to manage the immediate fallout on injuries and morale.

The match report was closed by Daniel Lagos, and postgame comments from players included Isi noting the team’s positive run—“four points from six”—and lamenting the additional time after the last VAR stoppage. The final 1-1 scoreline reflected a contest in which each side controlled parts of the game but neither could turn moments of dominance into more decisive advantage.