Match Centre

Borussia Dortmund deserved their 2-1 victory over Real Betis, outperforming the Spanish side on expected goals (2.66 vs 0.88) despite marginally higher possession (53%). While Betis were competitive in the first half, Dortmund's sharper attack proved decisive, with Fábio Silva pivotal in both goals. The Portuguese forward opened the scoring in the 49th minute before assisting Konstantinos Karetsas' winner in the 72nd.

Though Betis responded through Aitor Ruibal's 67th-minute strike, their attack lacked Dortmund's cutting edge. The German side created 15 total shots (10 inside the box) to Betis' 11, with 6 on target against the visitors' 4. Betis did force Gregor Kobel into 3 saves, but Dortmund's superior quality in the final third shone through.

The telling stat was Dortmund's XG advantage of 1.78 - a clear reflection of their more threatening attacking play. This, combined with Silva's decisive contribution in both goals, ensured a deserved victory.