WARSAW, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- Steve Kapuadi's header secured a 1-0 victory for Legia over Real Betis in the UEFA Conference League on Thursday evening.
Facing a visiting side regarded as the favorite, Legia displayed strong determination to clinch three points after a run of three winless games in Poland's Ekstraklasa.
Goncalo Feio's team pressed forward from the outset, and their efforts were rewarded in the 23rd minute when Ruben Vinagre delivered a perfect cross from a corner kick. Kapuadi rose to the occasion, converting it with a powerful header.
Real Betis came close to an equalizer just before halftime, but Legia goalkeeper Kacper Tobiasz made a crucial save to deny Pablo Fornals' close-range effort.
In the second half, Legia nearly doubled their lead 20 minutes in when Jean-Pierre Nsame set up Ryoya Morishita in the penalty area. However, the Japanese player missed the target.
Legia maintained control in the closing stages to secure the 1-0 win over the Spanish side.
"We expected to play better tonight. Legia showed quality and made fewer mistakes than we did. We should have shown more creativity, but Legia defended very well," said Real Betis coach Manuel Pellegrini during the post-match press conference.
On October 24, Real Betis will host FC Copenhagen, while Legia travels to face Serbian side TSC Backa Topola. ■
