Real Betis defeated Arsenal 3-1 in their pre-season friendly at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. The Spanish side struck three times before the break to secure a convincing victory.
Rodrigo Riquelme opened the scoring in the ninth minute following a corner for the visitors. The early breakthrough gave Betis control of a lively first-half contest in Dublin.
Nelson Deossa doubled the advantage in the 26th minute with a superb long-range strike into the top corner. His stunning effort underlined Betis’ greater sharpness and superior match fitness.
Piero Hincapié pulled a goal back for Arsenal in the 32nd minute with a well-taken header. The defender’s finish briefly lifted Mikel Arteta’s much-changed side before half-time.
Pablo Fornals restored Betis’ two-goal cushion just before half-time with a strike in the 43rd minute. His well-timed goal capped a dominant opening period for the La Liga visitors.
Arsenal were without several key senior players who remained unavailable following the FIFA World Cup. Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and William Saliba were among the notable absentees in Dublin.
Mikel Arteta handed minutes to a mix of youngsters and new signings to build fitness. Ethan Nwaneri and Max Dowman featured alongside recent arrivals Christos Tzolis and Viktor Gyökeres.
Real Betis arrived with greater pre-season match fitness and controlled much of the first half. They repeatedly exposed defensive vulnerabilities in Arsenal’s makeshift backline with quick transitions.
Arteta’s side improved after the interval but could not find a way back into the contest. Betis managed the game intelligently to close out a comfortable friendly win ahead of the season.
