Barcelona defeated Real Betis on the road on Wednesday night. The result, a road victory over a team vying for European qualification, is a huge boost for Xavi’s team. However, the match was close, as it was between the two in January in the semifinal of the Spanish Super Cup.
Barcelona entered the game with a cushion of five points from Real Madrid. Therefore, this match gave the Catalan club the opportunity to have more space between the two rivals. Barcelona took advantage.
For much of the game, Barcelona was the better team. Gavi, now officially registered as a first-team player under the number 6, linked up well with Pedri, Frenkie de Jong and Sergio Busquets in midfield. Although Barcelona, as usual, kept most of the ball, Betis prevented any goals being scored in the first half. In the same way, Barcelona annulled any nose for an own goal from Betis.
However, the game was opened up in the second half. That goes for both the score and the controversy.
Barcelona and Betis warm up for drama
Although Barcelona looked dominant for the first hour of the game, one player seemed out of place. Raphinha, unfortunately due to a lack of form and confidence, never seemed to understand the game.
Then, in the 65th minute, Alejandro Balde provided the antidote by giving the Brazilian a touch to open the game. However, the start of the move for Barcelona caused great anger from Betis and their supporters. A foul on Gavi stopped play, but the ball rolled away from the spot of the offence. Frenkie de Jong, ever the opportunist, began to play quickly, flicking a ball down the wing to Balde. However, when de Jong took the free kick, he was a good 10 yards from where Gavi went down in the first place.
Robert Lewandowski took some of the power out of the game with a goal in the 80th minute. In the style of a true goal poacher, the Poland international pounced on a loose ball from a corner and slotted it past Real Betis goalkeeper Rui Silva.
However, Betis was not done. Still angry that the referee’s decisions did not go well, Betis moved on. In the 85th minute, Betis forced the ball over the goal line. Youssof Salaby launched a search ball from the right side. Jules Koundé, who worked as Barcelona’s right-back, had the ball and put it into the goal. The Frenchman simply wasn’t prepared for the ball to go that far.
A key victory
Betis, who halved the deficit, made the last 10 minutes tense. Through a wave of supporters, Barcelona clung on for victory. It is the fourth consecutive victory by a goal for the team. The previous three were blanked 1-0.
In the middle of the domestic season, Barcelona flies. Fifty points, two draws and one defeat are enough to have a cushion over Real Madrid. True, the whites have played one game less than Barcelona. Still, Barcelona has the most goals scored and by far the fewest goals conceded. Barcelona has seven goals against in 19 games. Three of them came in the club’s only loss of the season, against Real Madrid.
Real Madrid are in action tomorrow on ESPN+, while Barcelona’s next game is a home game against a struggling Sevilla side. Betis will look to regain their form on Sunday, when they host Celta de Vigo.
PHOTO: IMAGO / CordonPress
