Dani Ceballos struck Real Madrid's winner in the 88th minute

Real Madrid edged past Real Betis to climb into the La Liga top four with a first win in three matches.
Betis looked set to earn a deserved point until Dani Ceballos' late free-kick nestled into the bottom corner.
Real were given an early lead by Luka Modric, but the home side dominated possession and equalised through Segio Canales after an offside decision was overturned by VAR.


Madrid climb to fourth, but remain 10 points behind leaders Barcelona.
Earlier on Sunday, Lionel Messi became the first player to score 400 La Liga goals as Barca recorded their seventh successive win to maintain their five-point lead at the top of the table.
Real, European champions in the past three seasons, are nowhere in the title race. They are behind third-placed Sevilla on goal difference and a point ahead of Alaves in fifth.
Though they saw much less of the ball, the visitors had the better of the early chances and Modric's clinical finish gave them a lead they merited.
Federico Valverde could have made it two, but he hesitated when through on goal, allowing Antonio Barragan to make a sliding tackle.
Betis applied pressure of their own before half-time and again after the break - Andres Guardado volleyed past the post from the edge of the 18-yard box.
When Canales got between the Madrid centre-backs and slid in a finish, the goal looked set to be ruled out for offside, only for VAR to overturn the onfield decision.
Madrid introduced Brahim Diaz, the 19-year-old signed from Manchester City, for his La Liga debut, but were struggling to silence the raucous crowd in Seville.
That was until the intervention of Ceballos, himself a substitute. His free-kick penetrated a flimsy wall and went past unsighted home keeper Pau Lopez to give Madrid their first league win since their triumph at the Club World Cup in December.

    Line-ups
    Match Stats
    Live Text

Line-ups

Real Betis

    13López

    19Barragán

    23Mandi

    5Bartra

    2Guerrero MartínSubstituted forTelloat 67'minutes

    21Lo Celso

    14William CarvalhoBooked at 86mins

    18GuardadoBooked at 4minsSubstituted forBoudebouzat 85'minutes

    6Canales

    9SanabriaSubstituted forMorónat 88'minutes

    17Sánchez Rodríguez

Substitutes

    1Robles

    3García Fernández

    4Feddal

    7León

    10Boudebouz

    11Tello

    16Morón

Real Madrid

    1Navas

    5Varane

    4RamosBooked at 42mins

    6Nacho

    2Carvajal

    14Casemiro

    15ValverdeBooked at 62minsSubstituted forDíazat 82'minutes

    23ReguilónSubstituted forCeballosat 74'minutes

    10ModricBooked at 35mins

    28Paixão de Oliveira Júnior

    9BenzemaSubstituted forGonzálezat 45'minutes

Substitutes

    12Marcelo

    13Casilla

    19Odriozola

    21Díaz

    22Isco

    24Ceballos

    27González

Referee:

Alejandro José Hernández Hernández

Attendance:

54,187

Match Stats

Home TeamReal BetisAway TeamReal Madrid

Possession

Home74%

Away26%

Shots

Home9

Away14

Shots on Target

Home2

Away5

Corners

Home6

Away5

Fouls

Home9

Away13

Live Text

Posted at
Match ends, Real Betis 1, Real Madrid 2.Full TimePosted at 90'+5'
Second Half ends, Real Betis 1, Real Madrid 2.
Posted at 90'+3'
Corner, Real Betis. Conceded by Brahim Díaz.Posted at 90'+2'
Sergio Canales (Real Betis) wins a free kick in the defensive half.Posted at 90'+2'
Foul by Luka Modric (Real Madrid).Posted at 90'+2'
Corner, Real Madrid. Conceded by Antonio Barragán.Posted at 90'+1'
Hand ball by Cristo González (Real Madrid).Posted at 90'
Foul by Marc Bartra (Real Betis).Posted at 90'
Daniel Carvajal (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Goal!Posted at 88'
Goal! Real Betis 1, Real Madrid 2. Dani Ceballos (Real Madrid) from a free kick with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.SubstitutionPosted at 88'
Substitution, Real Betis. Loren Morón replaces Antonio Sanabria.BookingPosted at 86'
William Carvalho (Real Betis) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.Posted at 86'
Foul by William Carvalho (Real Betis).Posted at 86'
Casemiro (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the attacking half.SubstitutionPosted at 85'
Substitution, Real Betis. Ryad Boudebouz replaces Andrés Guardado.Posted at 84'
Attempt missed. Cristian Tello (Real Betis) left footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Antonio Barragán with a cross.SubstitutionPosted at 82'
Substitution, Real Madrid. Brahim Díaz replaces Federico Valverde.Posted at 80'
Corner, Real Betis. Conceded by Nacho.Posted at 78'
Corner, Real Betis. Conceded by Nacho.Posted at 78'
Attempt blocked. Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Sergio Canales.Posted at 76'
Corner, Real Betis. Conceded by Raphael Varane.Posted at 75'
Corner, Real Betis. Conceded by Sergio Ramos.SubstitutionPosted at 74'
Substitution, Real Madrid. Dani Ceballos replaces Sergio Reguilón.Posted at 70'
Foul by Sergio Canales (Real Betis).Posted at 70'
Sergio Reguilón (Real Madrid) wins a free kick on the left wing.Posted at 69'
VAR: Goal. Referee decision on field cancelled.Posted at 69'
Delay over. They are ready to continue.Posted at 69'
Delay in match (Real Betis). Video Review.
Goal!Posted at 67'
Goal! Real Betis 1, Real Madrid 1. Sergio Canales (Real Betis) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Giovani Lo Celso with a through ball.SubstitutionPosted at 67'
Substitution, Real Betis. Cristian Tello replaces Francis.BookingPosted at 62'
Federico Valverde (Real Madrid) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.Posted at 62'
Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis) wins a free kick on the right wing.Posted at 62'
Foul by Federico Valverde (Real Madrid).Posted at 61'
Antonio Sanabria (Real Betis) wins a free kick in the attacking half.Posted at 61'
Foul by Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid).Posted at 60'
Attempt missed. Andrés Guardado (Real Betis) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right.Posted at 58'
Offside, Real Madrid. Cristo González tries a through ball, but Vinícius Júnior is caught offside.Posted at 58'
Attempt blocked. Cristo González (Real Madrid) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Vinícius Júnior.Posted at 56'
Foul by Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis).Posted at 56'
Luka Modric (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

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Source: bbc.com