Troy Parrott Shines in Real Betis Victory Over Getafe
Troy Parrott’s Real Betis reboot gathered momentum on Thursday night as the Ireland striker returned to the starting XI and helped Manuel Pellegrini’s side grind out a 1-0 win over Getafe in Seville.
Parrott, making just his third La Liga start for Betis, almost lit up Estadio Benito Villamarín inside five minutes. Spotting David Soria off his line after seizing on a loose Getafe pass near halfway, the Dubliner went for audacity over safety, lifting a long-range effort that had the keeper scrambling. Soria got back just in time, clawing the ball away with a desperate fingertip save.
Betis controlled the tempo from there. Getafe sat in, retreated, and absorbed. The hosts, though, struggled to turn possession into something more ruthless. Antony twice lashed efforts over the bar, the frustration in the stands growing with each wasted opening.
The pressure finally broke just before the interval, and Parrott was at the heart of it.
Deep in their own half, Betis worked the ball out through midfield to Abde Ezzalzouli, who drove forward and released Antony racing down the flank. Parrott ghosted into space through the middle, took the return pass at the edge of the area and, with a clever first-time ball, swept it back across goal. Abde had continued his run and met the pass with a crisp low finish beyond Soria on 45 minutes.
Betis had the lead their dominance deserved. They just couldn’t kill the game.
Getafe dropped even deeper after the break, content to spoil and wait for a mistake. Betis probed but the second goal refused to come, and as the hour mark passed Pellegrini rolled the dice. Parrott, Isco and Abde all made way midway through the second half as the Chilean reshuffled his attack in search of fresh legs and sharper edges.
The change didn’t bring more goals. It did, however, set up a nervy finish.
Getafe finally emerged from their shell in the closing stages, launching a late push that had Betis pinned back and the home crowd on edge. Crosses flew in, clearances grew more frantic, and the 1-0 advantage looked fragile. Betis, though, held their line and their nerve, seeing out the final minutes to bank a hard-earned win.
The victory lifts Betis to third in La Liga on 15 points, level with second-place Real Madrid and three behind early leaders Barcelona, who have won all six of their opening games.
For Parrott, it marks another step in a promising start to life in Spain. A fortnight ago he came off the bench at Estadio La Cartuja to score the winner against Real Madrid, handing José Mourinho’s side their first defeat of the season. Now he has a standout assist and another key contribution to a Betis side quietly climbing the table and beginning to believe this campaign can be something more than just a chase for European places.
