La Liga,
Round 9
Real Betis
BET
Barcelona
BAR
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Venue
- Estadio de la Cartuja
-
Referee
- Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea
Barcelona joined the Real Madrid side of 1968-69 as the only La Liga teams to win their first nine games of the season as the Catalans survived a chaotic hour before cruising to victory at Real Betis.
Lamine Yamal was the star performer for Barca with a brilliant opener and a wonderful overall display as Barca made it 11 wins from 11 games in all competitions.
The Spain winger picked up the ball on the right flank after 10 minutes, chopped inside one defender and unleashed a brilliant curling effort into the top left-hand corner from 25 yards.
It was the teenager’s eighth goal in La Liga this season.
Yamal’s strike was the catalyst for a goal-laden evening in Seville with Barca always seemingly in command with the dismissal of the hosts’ Facundo Bernal for attempting to headbutt Yamal twice 10 minutes into the second half effectively ending their challenge.
Rodri netted his first Barcelona goal with Gabriel Jesus, Eric Garcia and Dani Olmo also on target.
Betis replied through Valentin Gomez and Abde Ezzalzouli but those goals weren’t enough to prevent a second league defeat of the season.
Yamal stunner puts Barcelona in front
After Yamal’s opener, Barca came close again with Karim Adeyemi just failing to beat Alvaro Valles from a tight angle.
Betis were looking a threat on the counter and they conjured up an equaliser after 28 minutes. Barca failed to clear a corner and when Pablo Fornals tossed the ball back into the box, Gomez found space to power a header past Joan Garcia.
Barca threatened again as the game moved back and forth, Yamal’s delightful through ball picking out Adeyemi but the former Borussia Dortmund man’s attempted chip was bundled clear by Valles.
At the other end, only a superb save from Garcia prevented Hector Bellerin from scoring against his former club.
Barca did restore their advantage three minutes before the break in the most straightforward manner, Rodri nodding in Fermin Lopez’s corner.
Betis thought they had equalised almost immediately but Giovani Lo Celso’s screamer was ruled out by the VAR after it was deemed Cucho Hernandez had used his hand in the build-up.
Barcelona run away with it after Bernal red
It seemed harsh but Betis were perhaps a touch fortunate to still be within touching distance after Barca squandered excellent chances to increase their lead at the start of the second period with Jesus coming close and then seeing an effort ruled out for offside.
The Brazil international was not to be denied, though, and he profited after 52 minutes when Yamal unselfishly squared for him to tap into an empty net.
Ezzalzouli made it 3-2 almost immediately, converting Lo Celso’s excellent pass, but Bernal’s stupidity immediately reduced Betis’ hopes of getting something from the game.
Betis could not hold on with 10 men and after Valles made a hash of a routine punch, Pau Cubarsi set up Garcia to make it 4-2 shortly after the hour mark.
Substitutes Olmo and Anthony Gordon both came close but Olmo did net Barca’s fifth with eight minutes to go, running through to slot past Valles, as Barca scored their 39th goal in nine league games.
In more good news for Barca, Raphinha made his comeback from injury ahead of next weekend’s Clasico.
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