The League,
Round 9
Real Betis
BET
Barcelona
BAR
-
place
- Cartuja stadium
-
referee
- Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea
Diego Valentín Gómez 27′
Abde Ezzalzouli 53′
Laminate Yamal 10′
Rodrigo Hernandez Cascante 41′
Gabriel Jesus 51′
Eric García 62′
Daniel Olmo Carvajal 81′
Barcelona joined the Real Madrid 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 edging to victory in Real Betis.
Lamine Yamal was the star for Barca with a brilliant debut and a superb overall display as Barca made it 11 wins from 11 games in all competitions.
The Spanish winger picked up the ball on the right in the 10th minute, beat a defender and unleashed a brilliant curling effort into the top left 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-filled evening in Seville with Barca always on top with home side Facundo Bernal sent off for attempting to head Yamal twice in the 10th minute of the second half to end his challenge.
Rodri scored his first Barcelona goal with Gabriel Jesus, Eric Garcia and Dani Olmo also on target.
Betis responded through Valentin Gómez and Abde Ezzalzouli, but those goals were not enough to avoid a second La Liga defeat of the season.
Yamal stunner puts Barcelona ahead
After Yamal’s first goal, Barça went close again with Karim Adeyemi failing to beat Alvaro Valles from a tight angle.
Betis looked a threat on the counter and equalized in the 28th minute. Barça couldn’t clear a corner and when Pablo Fornals threw the ball back into the area, Gómez found space to push a header past Joan Garcia.
Barca threatened again as the game moved back and forth, Yamal’s delicious through ball picking out Adeyemi, but the ex-Borussia Dortmund man’s chipped attempt was cleared by Valles.
At the other end, only a superb save from Garcia prevented Hector Bellerin from scoring against his former club.
Barça regained the lead three minutes before the break in the simplest of ways, Rodri nodding in Fermín López’s corner.
Betis thought they had equalized almost immediately, but Giovani Lo Celso’s shout was ruled out by VAR after Cucho Hernández was deemed to have used his hand in the build-up.
Barcelona escaped after Bernal red
It looked tough, but Betis were perhaps lucky to be within striking distance after Barca wasted excellent chances to extend their lead early in the second period with Jesus going close and then having an effort ruled out for offside.
The Brazil international was not to be denied, however, and took advantage in the 52nd minute when Yamal unselfishly crossed for him to tap into the empty net.
Ezzalzouli made it 3-2 almost immediately, converting Lo Celso’s excellent pass, but Bernal’s stupidity immediately dented Betis’ hopes of getting something out of the game.
Betis couldn’t hold on with 10 men and after Valles made a routine punch, Pau Cubarsi put Garcia through to make it 4-2 just after the hour mark.
Substitutes Olmo and Anthony Gordon came close, but Olmo scored Barca’s fifth with eight minutes remaining, slotting past Valles. as Barça scored their 39th goal in nine league games.
In more good news for Barca, Raphinha returned from injury ahead of next weekend’s Clásico.
