Betis edges Navalcarnero 3-2 after extra time in Copa del Rey first round

Betis come back from 2-1 down

Real Betis needed extra time to beat CDA Navalcarnero 3-2 at the Santo Domingo stadium in Alcorcón on 12 November. Betis led from the 5th minute, when a pass from Rodrigo Riquelme let Antony run past goalkeeper Álvaro Calado, but the hosts did not retreat. Sources differ on the equaliser: RTVE and ABC credit Varo López, while Europa Press names Álvaro Leis, with the goal arriving three minutes into the second half. Kensly Vázquez then put Navalcarnero ahead in the 78th or 79th minute, depending on the report. Rodrigo Marina levelled in the 92nd minute, and Riquelme scored the winner early in extra time.

Penalties, a red card and a close call

Calado saved a penalty taken by Isco, and Aitor Ruibal was sent off after a second yellow card in the closing stages. Navalcarnero also appealed for a penalty against Pablo Fornals, a call that was not given, and Europa Press suggests Betis escaped that moment without VAR review. Isco had come on and stirred his side's attacking play, while Navalcarnero kept their shape and waited for chances. Afterwards, Varo told El Chiringuito that he had exchanged words with Isco after the Marina goal, asking whether Betis would last another 30 minutes.

Pellegrini and Riquelme on the win

Manuel Pellegrini said the scoreline did not show what happened on the pitch and that his side had taken more than 20 shots. He said the team never lost belief that it would score, and that a defeat would not have brought any criticism of the players.

“The scoreline does not reflect what was happening.”

Pellegrini said he could not recall where he had been 17 years earlier, when his Real Madrid side lost 4-0 at Alcorcón in the Copa del Rey on 27 October 2009, and said he was not linking that result to this match. He also said Diego Llorente was substituted after a blow to the head that caused a brief loss of consciousness, and that medical tests showed he was fine. Riquelme, who has five goals this season, said he could have scored more.

“I could have finished with five, but that is football. What I take away is that I did not drop my arms.”

Levante and Tarancón

Levante had a harder night than expected against CD Tarancón, a Tercera RFEF side. Sergio Nieto gave the hosts a 1-0 lead in the 53rd minute, and Levante needed extra time to turn the tie around and win 2-1. Levante's first-half openings came from Víctor García and Musuayi, and the visitors made several changes as the game wore on.

Marina's debut and Losada on the bench

Rodrigo Marina, a 20-year-old born in Plasencia with a contract until 2028, scored on his first-team debut. According to ABC, he scored 27 goals in a División de Honor season in 2024-25 and seven in 32 Primera RFEF games with Betis Deportivo in 2025-26. A transfer to Italian side Avellino, worth one million euros plus variables, collapsed last summer. Pellegrini turned to him after Aitor moved out of the centre-forward role, with Cucho injured and Parrott away with his national team. Iker Losada, according to ABC, has been on the squad for eight of Betis's 17 matches this season without playing in any of them.

Next round

Betis will be in the draw on 23 November to find their second-round opponent. Riquelme said the squad would rest for a few days before a derby that he described as especially important for the fans and the city.