Barcelona beat Real Betis 5-2 away in La Liga. They scored five goals, two of them after Betis were reduced to ten men, and ran out comfortable winners after a back-and-forth start.
A Lively First Half
Barcelona made the perfect start, scoring in the 10th minute. Yellow cards followed for both sides, and Betis equalized in the 27th minute, giving the home crowd real hope. Barcelona took charge again before halftime and went 2-1 up in the 41st minute.
The Second Half Swings
Barça scored again in the 51st minute to make it 3-1, but Betis hit back just two minutes later with a goal in the 53rd minute to make it 3-2. Then it fell apart for the hosts. They were shown a red card in the 54th minute, only a minute after scoring and a yellow in the same spell, and had to play the rest of the match with ten men.
Barcelona took full advantage. They scored again in the 62nd minute to make it 4-2 and added a fifth in the 81st minute to complete the rout.
Key Stats
Barcelona dominated the numbers, with 58% possession and 18 shots, 12 of them on target. Betis had eight shots and put all six of their efforts that hit the target on goal, but their keeper still had to make seven saves, while Barça’s keeper made four. Barcelona also won five corners to Betis’s two. Betis picked up four cards, three yellow and one red, to Barcelona’s two yellows.
Star Names on Show
Barcelona’s lineup featured Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Rodri, Fermín López, Karim Adeyemi, Gabriel Jesús and Jules Koundé, with Joan García in goal. Betis fielded Giovani Lo Celso, Abde Ezzalzouli, Cucho Hernández and Héctor Bellerín.
What It Means
Barcelona have now scored 12 goals in their last three league outings and look ready for the big one, with the Clásico against Real Madrid coming next weekend at home. For Betis, the red card cost them any chance of a comeback after they had fought back to within a goal, and it will be a harsh lesson in how quickly a match can slip away.
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