Barcelona beat Real Betis 5-2 at La Cartuja in Seville on Saturday, winning for the ninth time in nine league games and moving five points clear of Atlético Madrid at the top of La Liga. Lamine Yamal scored first, and Betis finished with ten men after Facundo Bernal was sent off.
The result equals the league record of nine straight wins that Real Madrid set in 1968/69, a mark Barcelona's own match preview flagged before kick-off. beIN Sports described it as a new club record for a start to a league season. It arrives eight days before the Clásico.
Betis levelled, then Barcelona pulled clear
Yamal gave Barcelona the lead in the 10th minute. Valentín Gómez equalised for Betis in the 27th, and Rodri put Barcelona back in front in the 41st.
Gabriel Jesus made it 3-1 in the 51st minute, six minutes after the restart, set up by Yamal. He had already had one goal ruled out for offside. Betis also lost a Giovani Lo Celso goal when it was disallowed for an earlier handball by Cucho Hernández in the same move.
Bernal's red card ends the contest
Ez Abde pulled one back to make it 3-2 in the 53rd minute. Bernal was sent off a minute later, in the 54th, for violent conduct following a confrontation with Yamal, who was booked.
Barcelona used the extra man. Eric Garcia scored the fourth in the 62nd minute from a Pau Cubarsí assist, and substitute Dani Olmo completed the scoring in the 81st. beIN Sports reported that Raphinha also came on after missing the previous two games. Barcelona's website said he had picked up a minor injury on international duty, which we covered at the start of the month.
Barcelona open up a five-point gap
Barcelona have 27 points from nine games. Atlético Madrid, who beat Espanyol 1-0 on Saturday, are five behind in second. Betis drop to third on 19 points, eight off the lead. Barcelona have now scored 39 league goals in nine matches.
Barcelona's next league match is the Clásico against Real Madrid at Spotify Camp Nou on Sunday 25 October, with kick-off at 21:00 local time. Barcelona's earlier league run is in our recaps of the wins at Sevilla and against Racing Santander.
