Barcelona continued their march towards the La Liga title with a dominant 4-0 victory over 10-man Real Betis on Saturday. The win put Barcelona 11 points ahead of second-placed Real Madrid with just six games remaining in the season.
Barcelona got off to a strong start when Andreas Christensen headed in a cross from Raphinha in the 14th minute. Real Betis suffered a further setback when defender Edgar Gonzalez was sent off in the 33rd minute for receiving two yellow cards for bad tackles.
Barcelona took advantage of the extra man on the pitch and quickly extended their lead. Robert Lewandowski scored a goal in the 36th minute from an assist by Jules Kounde, and Raphinha added a third two minutes later, with his goal initially ruled out for offside but later confirmed after a VAR review.
The hosts continued to dominate the game, and Guido Rodriguez scored an own goal in the 73rd minute while trying to clear an Ansu Fati cross in the six-yard-box, securing the win for Barcelona.
Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez made history during the game, introducing 15-year-old winger Lamine Yamal in the closing minutes of the match, making him the youngest ever debutant in La Liga for the club.
The victory was an important response from Barcelona following their 2-1 defeat to Rayo Vallecano in midweek, and the players’ performance showed they had learned from their mistakes.
“We needed to respond, and winning by a large margin was important to have more confidence,” said Raphinha, who scored one goal and provided an assist in the match. “We needed a little more attitude, needed to stay with the ball, and if we want to win the league, it has to be like that in every game.”
Barcelona fans will be buoyed by the team’s form, as they look forward to their upcoming games with confidence that they can continue their impressive run and secure another La Liga title.
