Emphatic five-goal haul "fails to extinguish" refereeing row: Barcelona hit hard and send a warning to Paris!
The clash next Tuesday:
Barcelona turned the game on its head after the break to beat Real Betis 5-2 in the ninth round of La Liga, a match packed with superb goals and refereeing rows. The Catalans keep rolling, with Paris Saint-Germain waiting next Tuesday.
That scoreline flatters them. Betis started strongly and made Barcelona graft for everything throughout a competitive first half, before the visitors finally took a grip on the game after the interval.
Lamine Yamal opened the scoring in the 10th minute. He exchanged passes with Jules Koundé on the right of the box, flicked the ball up with a backheel in the style of Neymar, then drilled a precise finish into the top corner past Valles, who had no answer.
Betis hit back on 27 minutes through Valentín Gómez, who headed home from a corner to level things up as both sides scrapped to dictate the tempo.
Four minutes before the break, Rodri Hernández put Barcelona back in front with his first goal in the Catalan club's shirt. Refereeing controversy followed, with Giovani Lo Celso seeing a thunderous strike from outside the area chalked off after the referee spotted a handball by Cucho Hernández at the start of the move.
A disallowed goal and a sending off
The drama rolled straight into the second half. Gabriel Jesus had a goal ruled out for offside in the 51st minute, after Lamine Yamal picked him out with a beautifully weighted cross on his weaker foot and the Brazilian turned the ball in.
Jesus didn't have to wait long. A minute later he scored his third in La Liga this season, finishing off good work from Fermín López and Yamal to make it 3-1.
Betis hit back within 60 seconds through Abde Ezzalzouli, who beat Koundé and slid a low finish past Joan García to drag his side back into the contest.
That goal sparked nothing. Instead it became the match's turning point, because Facundo Bernal walked in the 54th minute after a flashpoint with Yamal. The Barcelona winger shoved the Uruguayan, who grabbed his head in response, and out came the red card.
Down to ten, Betis crumbled. Eric García made it four on 62 minutes, turning in Pau Cubarsí's header from a Yamal free kick to leave the game all but settled.
Olmo's first goal and Raphinha's return
Dani Olmo wrapped up the five with a cracker in the 85th minute, his first of the season. An open game had become a rout.
Raphinha also returned to action, four days before the PSG showdown. That's a significant lift for Barcelona ahead of a tough European night.
Eleven wins from 11 matches this season. Barcelona travel to face Paris Saint-Germain with morale soaring after an evening of individual brilliance, goals, refereeing twists and a decisive second half.
