Real Betis mounted a late rally to take a 3-2 partial lead over FC Porto during the closing stages of the second half at La Cartuja Stadium in Seville. The Matchday 2 fixture of the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League league phase, played on Wednesday (14), saw the Spanish hosts overturn a second-half deficit after forward Samu Aghehowa had temporarily put the Portuguese visitors 2-1 ahead in the 61st minute.
Midfielder Isco converted a penalty kick in the 84th minute to put the Andalusian club back in front following an 82nd-minute intervention by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), the electronic match review system. That strike completed a second-half swing initiated by substitute Cucho Hernández, who leveled the score at 2-2 in the 74th minute off an assist from Brazilian winger Antony, erasing the earlier advantage built by FC Porto through midfielder Gabri Veiga and forward Samu Aghehowa.
Bench adjustments by Francesco Farioli and Manuel Pellegrini drive five-goal second half
Tactical changes from both sidelines directly dictated the scoring pace after the halftime interval in Seville. FC Porto head coach Francesco Farioli executed a triple substitution in the 59th minute, immediately following his team’s equalizer and a string of yellow cards triggered by a pitchside confrontation and objects thrown onto the field. The Italian manager withdrew André Silva, Martim Fernandes, and Borja Sainz simultaneously, introducing Samu Aghehowa, Alberto Costa, and Oskar Pietuszewski to refresh the attacking line and the right flank. Just two minutes after stepping onto the pitch, Samu Aghehowa capitalized on a play started by Gabri Veiga and finished a backheel pass from Brazilian attacker Pepê, firing a high shot that struck the underside of the crossbar before crossing the goal line past goalkeeper Álvaro Valles.
🚨Samu Aghehowa seals the comeback 🇪🇸 Real Betis 1-2 Porto 🇵🇹 https://t.co/LRSgJ1NZhs
— Goals Xtra (@GoalsXtra) October 14, 2026
For Samu Aghehowa, the 61st-minute strike marked his debut goal in the UEFA Champions League and his first official tally since January 26, 2026, following a seven-month injury layoff that ended in mid-September. Prior to the Portuguese turnaround, Real Betis had seized control of the scoreboard shortly after returning from the locker rooms. In the 47th minute, forward Abde Ezzalzouli controlled a pass from Fran García and fired a shot into the top right corner past goalkeeper Diogo Costa to establish a 1-0 advantage. Moments later, in the 50th minute, Antony nearly doubled the host team’s cushion when he struck the goalpost with a quick left-footed effort from the edge of the penalty area.
FC Porto answered in the 54th minute after Real Betis midfielder Marc Roca committed a foul in his own half. Taking the resulting long-range free kick directly toward the net, Gabri Veiga beat Álvaro Valles with a right-footed strike to bring the match to 1-1. Once Samu Aghehowa pushed the visitors ahead at 2-1 in the 61st minute, Real Betis head coach Manuel Pellegrini responded in the 62nd minute with a double substitution of his own, sending on midfielder Dani Ceballos and striker Cucho Hernández to replace Nelson Deossa and Troy Parrott.
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Pellegrini’s adjustments paid off 12 minutes later when Antony set up Cucho Hernández inside the box for a low right-footed finish beside the left post in the 74th minute. As both clubs pressed for a decisive result in the final 20 minutes, Farioli made further changes to the FC Porto lineup, bringing on Hwang In-Beom for Gabri Veiga in the 71st minute and later introducing striker Santiago Giménez for Pepê in the 85th minute, just one minute after Isco’s 84th-minute penalty kick put Real Betis up 3-2.
Video review cancels first-half volley in Seville
Before the five-goal surge in the second period, the opening 45 minutes in southern Spain ended in a scoreless draw marked by defensive stops and an electronic officiating review. In the 40th minute, FC Porto defender Martim Fernandes connected on a volley from the edge of the box that deflected off the crossbar and went into the net. However, French referee Clément Turpin disallowed the goal in the 42nd minute after a VAR check identified a handball by Borja Sainz during the buildup, and the official issued a yellow card to coach Francesco Farioli for protesting the decision on the touchline.
The chronology of key plays, disciplinary cards, and tactical substitutions in Seville unfolded in distinct phases across both halves:
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- 2nd minute (1st half): Abde Ezzalzouli shoots from the edge of the box toward the bottom right corner, forcing a save from goalkeeper Diogo Costa.
- 3rd minute (1st half): Isco sets up Marc Roca inside the penalty area, whose shot goes just wide of the right post.
- 11th minute (1st half): André Silva pounces on a rebound inside the six-yard box and heads the ball against the Real Betis crossbar.
- 15th minute (1st half): Ángel Ortiz receives a pass inside the box and fires toward the center of the net, where Diogo Costa makes the stop.
- 27th minute (1st half): Nelson Deossa attempts a long-distance strike that travels narrowly past the left goalpost.
- 32nd minute (1st half): Fran García hits a low drive from outside the area, which Diogo Costa gathers cleanly in the middle of the goal.
- 40th minute (1st half): Martim Fernandes scores with a volley for FC Porto, prompting an immediate officiating review.
- 42nd minute (1st half): Referee Clément Turpin cancels the FC Porto goal via VAR for an earlier handball and shows a yellow card to coach Francesco Farioli.
- 47th minute (2nd half): Abde Ezzalzouli finishes into the top right corner off a Fran García assist to open the scoring for Real Betis at 1-0.
- 50th minute (2nd half): Antony strikes the goalpost with a left-footed shot from the center of the box.
- 54th minute (2nd half): Gabri Veiga converts a direct long-range free kick to pull FC Porto level at 1-1.
- 56th minute (2nd half): Clément Turpin hands out yellow cards to André Silva, Abde Ezzalzouli, and Nelson Deossa following a dispute after the goal celebration.
- 59th minute (2nd half): FC Porto completes a triple change, bringing on Samu Aghehowa, Alberto Costa, and Oskar Pietuszewski for André Silva, Martim Fernandes, and Borja Sainz.
- 61st minute (2nd half): Samu Aghehowa receives a backheel pass from Pepê and shoots high off the crossbar to give FC Porto a 2-1 lead.
- 62nd minute (2nd half): Real Betis substitutes Nelson Deossa and Troy Parrott, sending Dani Ceballos and Cucho Hernández onto the field.
- 71st minute (2nd half): FC Porto replaces midfielder Gabri Veiga with Hwang In-Beom.
- 73rd minute (2nd half): FC Porto midfielder Alan Varela receives a yellow card for a foul on Abde Ezzalzouli.
- 74th minute (2nd half): Cucho Hernández finishes a pass from Antony inside the box to equalize for Real Betis at 2-2.
- 77th minute (2nd half): Real Betis midfielder Dani Ceballos is shown a yellow card.
- 82nd minute (2nd half): VAR confirms a penalty kick in favor of Real Betis following a play involving Ángel Ortiz.
- 84th minute (2nd half): Isco scores from the penalty spot to put Real Betis ahead 3-2.
- 85th minute (2nd half): FC Porto brings on forward Santiago Giménez in place of Pepê, and Giménez receives a yellow card one minute later in the 86th minute.
Starting lineups and European campaign records for both clubs
The October 14, 2026 clash brought together two Iberian sides that recorded contrasting outcomes in the opening round of the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League league phase. FC Porto traveled to Spain seeking its first points and goals in the continental tournament after suffering a 2-0 defeat to English club Manchester City on Matchday 1. Meanwhile, Real Betis—making its first appearance in the main draw of Europe’s premier club competition since the 2005/06 season—entered the second round with three points on the board after securing a 3-2 road victory over French side Lille in its opener.
For FC Porto midfielder Gabri Veiga, the 54th-minute free kick extended a personal scoring record against the Seville outfit on Spanish soil. The Spanish midfielder had previously found the net twice against Real Betis in Seville while playing for Celta de Vigo during a 4-3 domestic league victory in February 2023. The official match sheet and technical details for the Matchday 2 encounter at La Cartuja Stadium included the following formations and personnel:
- Real Betis starting lineup (4-2-3-1 formation): Álvaro Valles; Ángel Ortiz, Marc Bartra, Natan, and Fran García; Marc Roca, Nelson Deossa, and Isco; Antony, Abde Ezzalzouli, and Troy Parrott. Head coach: Manuel Pellegrini.
- FC Porto starting lineup (4-3-3 formation): Diogo Costa; Martim Fernandes, Pablo Rosario, Jakub Kiwior, and Francisco Moura; Victor Froholdt, Alan Varela, and Gabri Veiga; Borja Sainz, André Silva, and Pepê. Head coach: Francesco Farioli.
- Officiating crew (France): Clément Turpin (center referee), assisted by touchline officials Nicolas Danos and Benjamin Pages, with Jérémie Pignard serving as fourth official and Willy Delajod in charge of the VAR booth.
- Kickoff and venue: 8:00 p.m. local time in Lisbon and London (9:00 p.m. local time in Seville), hosted at La Cartuja Stadium in Seville, Spain.
With the match reaching the 88th minute of play in the second half, the final full-time score of the Matchday 2 UEFA Champions League contest awaits the referee’s closing whistle. Following the European commitment in Seville, Real Betis is scheduled to return to Spanish La Liga action on Saturday (17) against FC Barcelona.
