Ayoze Perez: The former Newcastle United and Leicester City star keeps Real Betis in the hunt for Europe

1. Apart from the El Clasico, Real Betis defeated rivals Valencia 2-1, led by former Premier League star Ayoze Perez, who scored twice. The 30-year-old scored calmly in the first half, but Valencia tied the score with a penalty kick in the second half. But in a tense match for Europe, Perez had the last word when a deflected strike from outside the area earned all three points.

Following their triumph over Celta in Matchday 31, Real Betis has now stringed together a run of four straight victories. Currently in seventh place in the standings and three points behind Real Sociedad in sixth, Betis will need to keep up their strong play to exert pressure on their opponents in Europe. This season, Perez has scored five goals in La Liga, which is his most goals in a single season in any of the top five European leagues since he scored eight goals with Leicester City in 2019–20.

After the game, Perez gave a press conference where he expressed his respect for teammate Isco and his resolve to continue fighting for Europe: “I only have positive things to say about Isco; he is a wonder. It’s enjoyable to see him perform. I’m grateful for his help.

“The group is at a high caliber. This European stance is ours, and we must maintain it. Matchday 33 will see Real Betis play their fierce rivals Sevilla. The team’s goal will be to win three straight games and put pressure on everyone else.