A chaotic pre-season friendly match between Burnley and Real Betis soccer team saw two red cards and a goal from the byline.
Vincent Kompany’s soccer team got a positive result in Spain.
The Premier League newcomers played with Betis, who will participate in the Europa League this season, in a 1-1 draw.
The newcomers took the lead after 26 minutes when Jordan Bayer shot into the far corner, but the game started to come alive before the break.
Burnley midfielder Johann Gudmundsson was frustrated by a challenge from Betis player Luis Felipe, who pounced on the Icelandic from behind.
Gudmundsson kicked the ball toward Felipe, after which the Betis player lunged back and tried to headbutt his opponent before pushing him away by the neck. The referee decided the collision was enough to remove both players, leaving both teams ten men.
When it seemed like nothing could top a double red card for insanity in a pre-season friendly, Marc Bartra scored an exceptional goal from outside his penalty box, leveling the score in favor of Betis.
The former Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund defender seemed to take James Trafford by surprise, and the shot from the crossbar went to the back of the goalkeeper’s head before ending up in the net.
If Trafford was frustrated that Betis had equalized, he made up for it with several excellent saves, including one from Aitor Ruibal, keeping the Spaniards out of defeat.
Despite chances from both sides, the match ended in a 1-1 draw, a positive result for Burnley in Spain after beating Portuguese champions Benfica 2-0 in Lisbon earlier this week.