Barcelona moved four points clear at the top of La Liga on Saturday after a vibrant 5–3 victory over Real Betis, powered by a first-half hat-trick from Ferran Torres.
Additional goals from Lamine Yamal and Roony Bardghji helped the champions secure another important win in Seville, though two late Betis strikes made for an anxious finish. Barcelona’s latest triumph follows their midweek victory over Atletico Madrid, signalling renewed momentum for Hansi Flick’s side.
Flick, who made several changes ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League meeting with Eintracht Frankfurt, praised his squad’s effort. “We are fighting and the players were exhausted. Today is positive—really positive,” he said.
Betis took an early lead through former Manchester United forward Antony, who finished confidently after Jules Kounde played him onside. Kounde quickly redeemed himself, providing the cross that allowed Torres to level moments later.
The Spanish forward struck again in the 13th minute, converting Bardghji’s delivery, before the Swedish winger added a third following Pedri’s incisive run. Torres completed his hat-trick shortly before the interval when his effort took a fortunate deflection past goalkeeper Alvaro Valles, moving him to 11 league goals—second only to Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé.
Yamal extended Barcelona’s lead from the penalty spot early in the second half after a handball call against Marc Bartra. The teenager later missed a clear chance, while Marcus Rashford also spurned an opportunity to stretch the margin.
Betis found consolation late on. Diego Llorente tucked in from a poorly defended corner, and Cucho Hernandez converted a penalty after Kounde tripped Ez Abde.
Elsewhere, Villarreal maintained their impressive form with a 2–0 win over 10-man Getafe. Tajon Buchanan opened the scoring, while Georges Mikautadze added a second after Luis Milla was dismissed. The victory moves Villarreal within one point of Real Madrid as their unbeaten run extends to more than two months.
Defender Renato Veiga described the result as “a good win in a tricky game,” stressing the team’s focus on steady progression.
