Two brilliant moments from Betis postpone Espanyol's celebrations.

BarcelonaEspanyol will have to wait at least a week to celebrate their survival. The Blue and Whites came away empty-handed after seeing two moments of individual brilliance help Betis turn things around in the final five minutes, a match they had come close to winning (1-2). A bitter defeat, but a fair one, considering the high number of chances enjoyed by the Andalusians, who did everything possible to subdue an overly conservative Espanyol. It is their first defeat at the RCDE Stadium since late October, when they fell to Sevilla. Relegation remains seven points away with twelve points left to play for.

Betis, who fielded a fairly recognizable starting eleven despite reserving some of their key talents for the Conference League semi-final, tried to take center stage. And, from the outset, they caused problems against an Espanyol side that took more risks than necessary and made some serious errors coming out from the back that nearly cost them the match. Some sins he downplayed in a giant under the sticks. On his 24th birthday, Joan Garcia unleashed a new repertoire of saves.

Espanyol, once again, was strong in both areas. If Sallent's goalkeeper defends his own, the opponent's goal threatens him. a Roberto Fernández who still has a keen sense of smellThe Cordoban sent his first shot into the back of the net, directing it between the posts after receiving a splendid through ball from Lozano. It was the sixth goal in eight shots on target for the forward, one of Espanyol's best winter signings this century: he equaled Uche's scoring record (2011-12) and is just one goal behind the seven scored by Dani Osvaldo (2009-10). A huge financial effort will be needed to retain him in a summer when he will have no shortage of suitors. After Fran Garagarza secured his loan and Manolo González was getting excellent returns from him, now it's Chen Yansheng's turn to reaffirm his commitment to increasing his investment.

After the break, Manolo González's team sank too far. Betis, who stepped up a few gears, went all out on the attack. Pellegrini brought on Isco and Abde, and the Andalusians deservedly deserved a comeback. They had no shortage of chances, but they ran into an inspired Joan Garcia, who didn't want anyone to spoil his party. If he thwarted a penalty at the Benito Villamarín, this time he saved as many as eight shots on goal. The post even kept out a Betis attempt, which pressed hard until, with five minutes remaining, they finally found their reward. Lo Celso took advantage of a poor clearance by Kumbulla and, after great driving, finished the move with a sensational finish. Espanyol came very close to regaining the lead, as Král squandered a killer pass inside the box immediately after the 1-1 draw. But, in the final minute of the match, Antony left Espanyol with a narrow snub with a shot aimed into the top corner from the edge of the box. Survival will have to wait.