In the first round of the new La Liga season, Real Betis drew 1-1 with Girona. Ismail continued to be absent due to injury, and during his absence, Betis has failed to secure a victory in four consecutive La Liga matches.
In the match between Real Betis and Girona, Fekir assisted Baltra to score the opening goal within the first six minutes. However, despite this perfect start, Real Betis could not maintain their lead and were equalized by the opponent in the 72nd minute, settling for a 1-1 draw. Although Fekir was named MVP of the game, everyone at Real Betis still misses Ismail.
In the 36th round of last season’s match against Las Palmas, Ismail, who started the game, was substituted off due to an injury in the first half. He was later diagnosed with a fracture of the left fibula shaft and underwent surgery four days later. According to the original rehabilitation plan, Ismail needed three months to return, which also caused him to miss the European Cup.
During Ismail’s absence, Real Betis had two draws and one loss in the last three rounds of last season, drawing with Las Palmas and Real Madrid, and losing 0-2 to Real Sociedad. In the first round of this season, they drew with Girona, failing to secure a winning start.
At the pre-match press conference before the Girona game, Pellegrini revealed that he could not specify when Ismail would return, “I don’t know when he will be 100% recovered.” However, the international break will arrive in early September, and when La Liga resumes, Ismail is likely to return. The entire Real Betis team is waiting for his comeback.