Real Betis and HNK Rijeka met in their Europa League Group I clash on Thursday.
The home side were through to the knockout stages of the competition no matter what happened in their clash with Croatian side, whose hopes of reaching the latter stages were over.
Neither team could break the deadlock inside the Estadio Benito despite having numerous good chances as Betis were forced to settle for a point and second place in the group.
Read how all the action unfolded in our commentary below.
Good evening and welcome to the live commentary of the Europa League clash between Real Betis and HNK Rijeka.
REAL BETIS STARTING XI: Sara, Amaya, Juanfran, Steinhofer, Jordi, Xavi Torres, Sevilla, Juan Carlos, Reyes, Nacho, Chuli
REAL BETIS SUBS: Andersen, Paulao, Didac Vila, Nono, Verdu, Molina, Ruben Castro
RIJEKA STARTING XI: Vargic, Knezevic, Datkovic, Bertosa, Mujanovic, Mocinic, Males, Brezovec, Jogovic, Benko, Krstanovic
RIJEKA SUBS: Mance, Tomecak, Boras, Maric, Kvrzic, Sharbini, Kramaric
We're underway in this Europa League clash.
Betis win a free kick in the early stages down the left as Mujanovic brings down Juan Carlos.
Sevilla slides the ball down the left of the box looking for Juan Carlos but Bertosa comes across to the win the ball for the visitors and clear the danger.
Betis have seen a lot of the ball in the early stages down the left as Juan Carlos and Sevilla are helping to dominate possession but they are yet to test Vargic.
Knezevic diverts the ball behind from a cross from Juan Carlos as Nacho looked to pounce in the penalty area.
Sevilla delivers the corner into the box but the pressure on the Rijeka goal is alleviated when Juan Carlos fouls Mujanovic and the referee awards a free kick.
Rijeka are struggling to get into the game at all as the home side are dominating the game in the middle of the park as Males and Mocinic are being overrun in midfield.
Another Betis corner into the box is cleared as Knezevic rises highest in the area to clear a short corner from Sevilla. The delivery from the home side from set pieces has been poor so far.
Betis work the ball through midfield and the ball comes to Juanfran who tries an effort from distance but Brezovec flings himself in front of the ball to block his shot.
CHANCE! Juanfran gets his effort on target this time as Vargic is forced to make a good save after the defender cut in from the right and fires a shot at goal at the near post but the keeper parried it behind.
CHANCE! Sevilla misses a glorious opportunity as he is played in behind the Rijeka defence and only has to beat Vargic but he puts his effort wide of the target with the goal gaping.
It's all hands to the pumps for the visitors at the moment as Datkovic is forced to make an excellent clearing header as Juan Carlos raided down to the byline and lifted a cross into the six yard box but the defender managed to get just enough on it to force the ball away.
Betis work the ball nicely on a counterattack and the ball comes to Juan Carlos on the right side of midfield this time, there's no pressure on him as he moves to the edge of the box and he shoots on his left foot but his effort goes well over the bar.
CHANCE! Juanfran wins the ball deep down the left and he surges into the box and cuts it back to Chuli in the six-yard box but he pokes his effort wide of the target.
CHANCE! Rijeka should be ahead as Benko misses an open goal from six yards out as he headed Brezovec's pinpoint cross wide of the target, after the visitors had cut open the Betis defence via a through ball from Mocinic.
Action packed few minutes as the visitors took advantage of Betis committing more men forward by hitting them on the break. Both sides should have at least one goal by now.
SUBSTITUTION: Kvrzic comes on for the visitors and replaces Jugovic.
CHANCE! Another good chance for the home side as Sevilla gets to the byline and crosses but nobody in green and white is there, but Juan Carlos picks up the ball on the right and advances into the box and shoots at goal but his effort doesn't have enough curl on it to find the corner.
CHANCE! A strong challenge from Reyes in midfield wins the ball for the home side and he immediately releases Juanfran down the right, who twists and turns his man and fires a low shot at goal which Vargic does well to turn away with his feet.
CHANCE! Back come Rijeka in this end-to-end game and they build down the left before the ball is squared to Kvrzic about 25 yards from goal and he tries an effort but his shot goes well over the bar. He should have done a lot better from there as he was under no pressure.
Betis raid forward down the right at Steinhofer and Juan Carlos link up and the latter lifts a cross to the back post looking for the run of Sevilla but Mujanovic does extremely well to read the danger as he gets there just in time to clear behind before the forward could latch onto the cross.
From the resulting corner from Sevilla Datkovic heads clear and the danger on the Rijeka goal is alleviated.
Nacho slides a through ball down the line for Sevilla to chase and he gets to the ball and fires a low cross into the area, which flashes across the goalline but no player from the home side attacks the ball to turn it into the net.
YELLOW CARD! Kvrzic goes into the book for a foul on Reyes.
There will be two minutes of added time.
HALF-TIME: Real Betis 0-0 Rijeka
It's goalless at the break somehow, as both teams have had excellent chances to break the deadlock. Benko had perhaps the best opportunity when he headed wide from about six yards with the goal gaping, while Sevilla had a missed one-on-one at the other end.
The Spanish side have played the better football and will want to ensure they sign off their group campaign by topping Group I as Lyon are currently losing at the break in their clash with Vitoria.
The players are back out on the pitch and we should be underway shortly.
We're back underway.
Rijeka hit a long ball forward and a clearance by Jordi falls to Benko outside the area and he hits a first-time volley but his effort goes harmlessly wide.
Juan Carlos raids down the left and fires a cross into the area across the face of goal but again no player in green and white attacks the ball and Vargic gathers.
Betis have a chance to threaten as Juanfran is brought down right on the edge of the area by Knezevic, as the forward weaved in and out of several challenges.
Sevilla stands over the ball and curls his shot over the wall but his effort goes just over the bar. That was close to finding target.
Kvrzic picks up the ball on the right at about the halfway line and drives towards goal, he beats the challenge of Nacho and then Jordi and fires a powerful left-footed shot but it goes well wide of the target. Good intent from the winger.
SUBSTITUTION: Ruben Castro comes onto replace Xavi Torres who leaves the field in apparent pain on a cart.
YELLOW CARD! Males goes into the book for the visitors for a foul on Juan Carlos.
From the resulting free kick Sevilla stands over the ball again and again he lifts his shot over the bar from about 25 yards out.
CHANCE! Steinhofer raids down the right and drills a effort from distance that bounces awkwardly in from of Vargic but he holds the ball to make the save as Chuli looked to pounce.
CHANCE! Chuli should put the home side ahead as he robs Knezevic of the ball and is through one-on-one with Vargic and he shapes with his left foot but can only fire wide of the target. That was a real opportunity for the home side.
SUBSTITUTIONS: Verdu and Nono replace Chuli and Sevilla for the home side.
Kzrvic picks up the ball down the right once more and he exchanges passes with Males and moves upfield, he then shoots from distance but his shot goes wide of the target.
Steinhofer brings down Bertosa down the right and the visitors win a free kick.
Bertosa whips the free kick into the box and Knezevic rises highest in the area to head the ball at goal but his effort goes wide of the target.
Verdu sprints down the left as he nods the ball away from Mujanovic and he gets to the byline to cross the ball into the box but it's cleared only as far as Nono who strikes first time and his effort goes inches over the bar.
Betis have control of possession at the moment and are slowing the tempo down as neither side seems to want to up the ante and go for the win here.
CHANCE! Benko picks up the ball about 30 yards from goal and no pressure comes from the Betis defenders, so he lets fly with a powerful left-footed shot that Sara has to turn past the post. That was far from convincing from the keeper mind.
From the resulting corner Tomecak whips the ball into the box but Betis manage to clear their lines as Jordi heads the ball away from goal.
Betis try to up the ante now as Steinhofer pushes forward from the back and wins a corner off the legs off Bertosa. He whips the ball in from the right but Rijeka are able to clear their lines.
Steinhofer collects the ball on the right from the clearance and drills an effort at goal which forces Vargic into the save and he pushes the ball behind for a corner.
Verdu puts the ball into the box and Nono gets up in the air to head the ball at goal but his effort goes wide of the post.
Betis win another corner as Juanfran is dispossessed as he tries to raid into the box and the ball goes behind. He takes the resulting corner and the clearance is almost headed back to him but Males beats him to the ball and he fouls the midfielder trying to win it back.
The game is slowly petering out as neither side looks capable of finding a winner this evening.
Kramaric raids forward trying to get a late winner for his side as he shoots from inside the box but his effort is tame and Sara makes the comfortable save.
There will be three minutes of added time.
Reyes makes a late surge and gets to the edge of the box before he is brought down on the edge of the box. This will give Betis one last chance to find the net.
Juan Carlos takes the free kick from the edge of the box and he fires his left-footed shot just over the bar with Vargic beaten. That should be that.
FULL-TIME: Real Betis 0-0 Rijeka
The game finished goalless as neither side could find the net in 90 minutes of action. Both sides lacked a clinical edge in front of goal despite having several good chances each. Betis will know they will have to play better than that in the latter stages of the competition to progress an further.
Rijeka finished bottom of the group with four points as they failed to win a gamer but picked up four draws along with two losses, as they finished just a point behind Vitoria following their defeat to Lyon.
Lyon's victory means that they top Group I with three wins and three draws in their six games as Betis are forced to settle for second place, but they were through no matter what happened this evening.
Thanks for joining our commentary this evening. We'll be back at the weekend with all the action from the Premier League and much more. Until then, goodbye.
Written by
Simon Sinclair
Simon Sinclair
