Troy Parrott seals Real Betis win after Lille comeback in Champions League

Real Betis recovered from behind twice to defeat Lille 3-2 in France and mark their return to the Champions League with an impressive victory.

Lille made the stronger start and opened the scoring through Ayase Ueda, who headed in his second goal in as many matches. The Japan forward connected with a well-weighted cross from Ethan Mbappe to give the hosts an early advantage.

Betis responded before the half-hour mark when Marc Bartra threw himself at Pablo Fornals’ cross and directed a diving header into the net.

The visitors’ momentum was short-lived, however. Lille restored their lead before the interval, with Alexsandro heading home from Gaetan Perrin’s corner.

Betis levelled for a second time only three minutes after the restart. Bartra managed to get a slight touch to Isco’s free-kick, changing its direction enough to send the ball beyond Lille goalkeeper Berke Ozer.

The Spanish side then completed the turnaround in the 53rd minute through Troy Parrott.

The former Tottenham striker collected the ball around 30 yards from goal, carried it forward and finished with a low left-footed shot into the far corner.

Parrott had also scored the only goal in Betis’ LaLiga win over Real Madrid on Friday. His latest strike continued a strong beginning to life at the club following his move from AZ Alkmaar for 16m euros last month.

“I’m really happy for Troy, scoring two goals in two matches is huge for him,” Betis coach Manuel Pellegrini said.

Lille’s task became even more difficult three minutes after Parrott’s goal when Ethan Mbappe was sent off.

The younger brother of Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe received a straight red card after appearing to elbow Betis defender Natan in the face, leaving Lille to play the remainder of the match with 10 men.

Despite the dismissal, Lille continued to press for an equaliser. The French side introduced former Arsenal and Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud as part of their attacking changes in an effort to rescue a result.

Betis remained under pressure during the closing stages but held firm to claim three points.

The result gives Betis a winning start to their return to Europe’s premier club competition, having been absent from the Champions League for 21 years. Their resilience was tested throughout the match, but they twice overturned a deficit before surviving Lille’s late challenge after Mbappe’s dismissal.