Betis hold off Málaga 2-1 behind Fornals' first-half goal

Betis beat Málaga 2-1 at Estadio La Cartuja, scoring twice before halftime and then holding on after Málaga pulled one back. The hosts moved to 7-2-2. Málaga fell to 0-5-6.

The game turned in the closing minutes of the first half. Marc Bartra put Betis ahead in the 38th minute with a header from the centre of the box into the bottom left corner. Isco crossed it in off a set piece. Seven minutes later, in first-half stoppage time (45'+2'), Pablo Fornals doubled the lead with a right-footed shot from outside the box, again into the bottom left corner, again after a set piece.

Fornals was the player of the game with a Chirp Rating of 7.7. He scored once and led Betis with six shots. Málaga answered in the 68th minute. Adrián Niño struck from the centre of the box into the bottom right corner to make it 2-1. He had four shots. Málaga could not find an equalizer.

Chirp's Sim had Betis at 70% before the game, and it called it.