Barca looking for Lewa's heir, but gem is under their nose - Of five goals, three belong to Torres

A goal fest unfolded at the Betis stadium in a match that promised excitement from the start. The hosts began perfectly with an early goal, but Ferran Torres soon took over, and with the help of Yamal and Bardghji, Barcelona packed five past the home side. Only near the end did Betis manage to pull one back, reducing the score to 5–3.

Real Betis started the match brightly, taking an early lead in the 6th minute. Antony cleverly turned on the edge of the six-yard box and smashed the ball into the roof of the net after Barcelona failed to clear their lines. There was a slight question of offside, but it appeared that Jules Kounde’s trailing leg had not interfered with the Brazilian’s run.

Barcelona responded quickly. In the 10th minute, a corner delivery found Marcus Rashford at the edge of the box, but his low shot was comfortably saved by Real Betis goalkeeper Alvaro Valles. Just a minute later, Barcelona equalized through Ferran Torres. The Spanish forward applied a deft touch at the near post to convert Jules Kounde’s low cross, marking his ninth La Liga goal of the season and his sixth in 11 appearances against Real Betis.

Torres struck again in the 13th minute, scoring his second goal in as many minutes. Another cross from the right found the space for him to volley emphatically past Valles, quickly turning the game on its head and leaving Real Betis shell-shocked after their perfect start.

Barcelona extended their lead in the 31st minute. Pedri’s excellent vision picked out Rony Bardghji, who showed great composure inside the box to slot the ball past the goalkeeper into the right corner, giving Barcelona a 3–1 advantage. This was Bardghji’s first goal for the club since joining from Copenhagen over the summer and only his second start for the team.

The first half concluded with Ferran Torres completing his hat-trick in the 40th minute. Given space at the edge of the box, he turned and fired a right-footed shot that took a huge deflection before nestling into the corner, putting Barcelona firmly in control heading into the break.

Barcelona started the second half more cautiously after building a comfortable three-goal lead. In the 49th minute, substitute Nelson Deossa set up Antony, but the Brazilian’s tame shot was easily collected by Joan Garcia.

The passing lacked the sharpness of the first half, and the runs in behind were less frequent, as Barcelona appeared to have taken their foot off the gas ahead of their Champions League clash against Eintracht Frankfurt on Tuesday.

In the 56th minute, Lamine Yamal reminded everyone of his threat. Finding a pocket of space, he drove into the box, but his low curling shot was superbly saved by Alvaro Valles.

Just a minute later, VAR intervened following a blocked shot from Marcus Rashford. Marc Bartra had blocked the attempt with his leg, but the ball ricocheted up onto his arm. After reviewing the pitchside monitor, the referee awarded a penalty, a decision that drew boos from the Estadio La Cartuja.

In the 59th minute, Lamine Yamal calmly converted the penalty, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way and slotting the ball into the left corner. The teenager’s composed finish made it 5–1, extending Barcelona’s dominant performance.

Right near the end of the match, Betis managed to score in the 85th minute after Diego Llorente did well following a corner and tapped the ball into the net for 5–2

Barcelona eased off the gas in the second half, which was reflected in the late penalty they conceded, and Hernandez’s goal made the score 5–3.

LA LIGA - MATCHDAY 19

Friday

Oviedo - Mallorca 0-0

Saturday

Villarreal - Getafe 2-0 (1-0)

/Buchanan 45+5, Mikautadze 64/

Alaves - Sociedad 1-0 (1-0)

/Boye 45+4 pen/

Betis - Barcelona 3-5 (1-4)

/Antony 6, Llorente 85, Hernandez 90 pen - Torres 11, 13, 40, Bardghji 31, Yamal 59 pen/

23.00: (3.50) Ath.Bilbao (3.35) Atl.Madrid (2.25)

Sunday

16.00: (2.20) Elche (3.50) Girona (3.50)

18.15: (2.20) Valencia (3.35) Sevilla (3.60)

20.30: (2.30) Espanyol (3.20) Rayo Vallecano (3.30)

23.00: (1.32) Real Madrid (5.60) Celta (8.50)

Monday

23.00: (1.80) Osasuna (3.50) Levante (4.70)

***odds are subject to change***