Seville’s European night brought contrasting frustrations for two Mexican internationals as Real Betis edged Porto 3-2, leaving Álvaro Fidalgo unused on the home bench and Santiago Giménez with only a brief, goalless late appearance for the visitors.
Betis made it two wins from two in the Champions League, while Porto remain without a point after their second defeat, but neither player found the restart they had sought after a difficult international break with Mexico.
Giménez returns but cannot change Porto’s night
Giménez was introduced in the 85th minute in place of Pepê, ending a run of two consecutive league matches as an unused substitute. His involvement began badly when he was booked shortly after entering the contest.
The forward nevertheless had a chance to level the score three minutes later. He sent a low, angled effort towards goal, only for Betis goalkeeper Álvaro Valles to dive to his right and keep Porto out.
There were two further openings before the final whistle. Giménez directed a corner effort straight at the goalkeeper and later pulled a left-footed attempt well wide. The missed opportunities extended his scoring drought for both club and country.
Porto have scored twice and conceded five times in their first two Champions League fixtures. With no domestic match this weekend, they will turn directly towards Tuesday 20 October, when PSV visit at 13:00 Central Mexico time.
Fidalgo still waiting for a Betis opportunity
Fidalgo’s situation in Seville is more concerning. Manuel Pellegrini did not call upon the former América midfielder despite using his squad in a demanding European match against Porto.
The midfielder had already spent the previous two league fixtures on the bench, one before the international window and another after it. He has featured in only three of Betis’ 10 possible matches so far, and none of those appearances has come from the starting side.
His most recent outing came against Getafe in Matchday 6 of the Primeira Liga, when he entered in the 89th minute and had little time to influence the game.
Betis look ahead from ninth place
Betis sit ninth in the European standings on goal difference after collecting two victories. Their next Champions League assignment is another home fixture, against Feyenoord on Wednesday 21 October at 13:00 Central Mexico time.
Before that, La Cartuja will host Barcelona on Saturday 17 October, with kick-off scheduled for 10:30 Central Mexico time. For Fidalgo, it represents another immediate chance to force his way back into Pellegrini’s plans; for Giménez and Porto, the PSV visit has quickly become a key opportunity to revive their campaign.
