rewrite this title Como and Real Betis brawl in ugly pre-season friendly

A so-called “friendly” between Como 1907 and Real Betis turned anything but, descending into a full-blown brawl that saw punches thrown, red cards handed out, and even a teammate accidentally getting caught in the crossfire.

The drama erupted just before halftime at the Estadio Municipal de La Línea de la Concepción in Cádiz. Two heavy challenges on Betis stars Giovani Lo Celso and Isco lit the fuse, sparking a heated clash between both squads.

Como midfielder Maxi Perrone and Betis’ Pablo Fornals exchanged punches, as players from both teams swarmed in. Amid the scuffle, Betis striker Cucho Hernández aimed a punch at a Como player – only to accidentally land it on his own teammate, Natan. A truly painful case of friendly fire.

The referee initially sent off Perrone and Héctor Bellerín, though the red card for Bellerín was later reversed and issued to Fornals instead – much to Bellerín’s visible frustration.

The match eventually resumed, with Como – coached by Cesc Fàbregas – sealing a 3-2 win thanks to a stoppage-time goal from Iván Azón.

Como now head into their clash with Barcelona in the Joan Gamper Trophy, while Betis continue preparations with a final tune-up against Málaga. But after this dust-up, both clubs might be focusing as much on anger management as tactics.

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