Racing de Santander 1 : 0 Real Betis - Santander claim long-awaited win

Posted Sunday, October 30, 2011 by PA

Christian Stuani came off the bench to hand Racing Santander their first win of the season in the Primera Division with the only goal against a forlorn Real Betis.

Both sides were unlucky not to score before half-time as Alex Pozuelo and Aldekoaotalora Ustaritz hit the bar for the visitors and Marc Torrejon also saw his header come off the woodwork for Racing.

Ariel Nahuelpan spurned a great chance to put Racing ahead when he headed wide 10 minutes into the second half, but instead it was his replacement Stuani who got the all-important goal as he was brought down by Isidoro in his first involvement and then dusted himself down to smash home the resulting penalty.

Betis have now suffered six defeats in a row.

However, it was they who started the better of the two sides and youngster Pozuelo was extremely unlucky to see his effort from 20 yards come crashing back off the bar midway through the first half.

Benat Extebarria was at the heart of everything good Betis going forward and the tricky playmaker was first to test Tono Ramirez in the Racing goal with another effort from distance which was turned over. From the resulting corner the visitors were again denied by the woodwork as Ustaritz's flicked header came off the top of the bar.

Moments later Racing produced their best move of the match as Pedro Munitis fed Domingo Cisma down the left and his cross was powerfully met by Adrian, but Betis keeper Casto denied the midfielder with a fantastic save.

Again though the resulting corner nearly broke the deadlock as this time Torrejon's header into the ground bounced up and clipped the bar on its way over.

Nahuelpan had got his first goal for Racing in midweek with an excellent header but he could not repeat that finish after the break as another good burst down the left from Cisma found the Argentinian all alone in the middle of the box but his header flew well wide of Casto's right-hand post.

Hector Cuper then turned to Stuani on his return from injury on the hour mark, and it proved an inspired substitution as the striker instantly broke into the box and was clumsily brought down by Isidoro. Stuani composed himself to stand up and hammer the penalty high beyond Casto into the top corner.

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