By Daily Review Online
Tamal: Barcelona continued their impressive run of form with a commanding 5-2 victory over Real Betis on Saturday, with Lamine Yamal and Rodri among five different goalscorers for the Catalan giants.
Yamal opened the scoring with a superb long-range effort in the 10th minute, setting the tone for an entertaining encounter at the Estadio La Cartuja de Sevilla.
Real Betis responded in the 27th minute when Valentin Gomez headed home a cross from Pablo Fornals to restore parity.
Barcelona regained the lead four minutes before half-time as Rodri, who joined the club from Manchester City in the summer, headed home a corner delivered by Fermin Lopez. It was the midfielder’s first goal for Barcelona since his arrival.
Gabriel Jesus extended Barcelona’s advantage in the 51st minute, finishing from close range after being set up by Yamal following an excellent passing move.
Betis quickly reduced the deficit through Abde Ezzalzouli, who finished a swift counter-attack in the 53rd minute to make it 3-2.
However, the hosts’ hopes of mounting a comeback suffered a major setback a minute later when Facundo Bernal was sent off following an off-the-ball confrontation involving Yamal.
Barcelona capitalised on their numerical advantage, with Eric Garcia restoring a two-goal cushion in the 62nd minute after converting from close range following a pass from Pau Cubarsi.
Substitute Dani Olmo completed the scoring in the 81st minute, producing a composed finish from the edge of the penalty area to seal an emphatic victory for Hansi Flick’s side.
The result marked Barcelona’s 11th consecutive victory in all competitions this season, strengthening their position at the top of La Liga.
The defending Spanish heavyweights moved five points clear of Atletico Madrid and nine ahead of Real Madrid, although the latter had a game in hand.
Yamal was named player of the match after another influential performance, scoring his eighth La Liga goal of the season and helping Barcelona maintain their remarkable momentum ahead of their upcoming fixtures.