Barcelona beat Real Betis 5-2 in seven-goal thriller as Lamine Yamal shines and Abde Ezzalzouli scores

17.10.26 FT LaLiga Spain

Real Betis

2

:

Barcelona

5

Barcelona maintained their perfect start to the 2026 /27 La Liga season with a dramatic 5-2 victory over Real Betis at Estadio La Cartuja in Seville on Saturday 17 October.

Lamine Yamal, Rodri, Gabriel Jesus, Eric García and Dani Olmo scored for Hansi Flick's side while Valentín Gómez and Moroccan international Abde Ezzalzouli replied for the hosts.

The Matchday 9 encounter featured seven goals, a disallowed Giovani Lo Celso equaliser following a VAR review and a straight red card for Betis midfielder Facundo Bernal after an altercation with Yamal.

Barcelona's victory extended their winning league run to nine matches, taking them to 27 point and reinforcing their position at the top of the standings.

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Real Betis vs Barcelona: How the seven goal thriller unfolded

Barcelona made an explosive start, with Yamal opening the scoring in the 10th minute.

The 19 year old produced a curling effort from outside the penalty area that flew into the top corner, rewarding Barcelona's early attacking dominance.

However, Betis gradually found space behind the visitors' defensive line and equalised through Valentín Gómez in the 27th minute.

The hosts then threatened to take the lead, but Joan García produced an important save to deny Héctor Bellerín.

Rodri restored Barcelona's advantage in the 41st minute, heading home from a corner delivered by Fermín López.

Betis appeared to have equalised again when Giovani Lo Celso struck from distance shortly before the interval but referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea disallowed the goal following a VAR review for a handball by Cucho Hernández earlier in the move.

Barcelona consequently entered half-time leading 2-1.

Second-Half drama: Ezzalzouli scores before bernal sees red

The opening minutes of the second half produced another dramatic sequence.

Gabriel Jesus initially had a goal ruled out for offside before scoring Barcelona's third in the 51st minute finishing from close range after an assist from Yamal.

Just two minutes later, Moroccan international Abde Ezzalzouli brought Betis back into contention.

The former Barcelona winger beat Jules Koundé and finished past Joan García in the 53rd minute, reducing the deficit to 3-2.

However, the celebrations were followed by a confrontation involving players from both teams.

Facundo Bernal received a straight red card in the 54th minute for striking Yamal with his head during the altercation while the Barcelona forward was shown a yellow card.

The decision left Pellegrini's side with ten players at a crucial stage of the encounter.

Barcelona capitalised on their numerical advantage, with Eric García scoring the fourth goal in the 62nd minute after a set piece situation.
Substitute Dani Olmo completed the scoring in the 81st minute with a powerful effort from outside the area, sealing a 5-2 victory.

Tactical Analysis: Barcelona's attacking quality overcomes defensive problems

Barcelona's victory demonstrated their attacking efficiency but also exposed weaknesses that Betis managed to exploit.

Flick's side controlled possession for much of the opening half, holding 73% of the ball according to El País, yet the visitors struggled to maintain defensive organisation when Betis advanced into space.

Barcelona's aggressive pressing initially created opportunities to recover possession high up the pitch but mistakes in midfield allowed Pellegrini's team to attack the spaces behind the defensive line.

The introduction of Eric García for Gerard Martín at half time represented an attempt to adjust the defensive structure.
However, the match's decisive tactical shift came after Bernal's dismissal.

With Betis reduced to ten players, Rodri and Pedri were able to exert greater control over possession while Barcelona maintained an attacking presence around the penalty area.

Yamal's influence was particularly important. Beyond his opening goal, he created Gabriel Jesus' strike and remained a consistent threat before being replaced by Raphinha in the second half.

The return of the Brazilian winger also gave Flick another attacking option ahead of a demanding run of fixtures.

Barcelona finished with five goals from five different scorers, illustrating the variety of their attacking options.

Abde Ezzalzouli continues impressive form against his former club

Despite Betis' defeat, Ezzalzouli provided an important individual performance from an African football perspective.

The Moroccan international scored against his former club, taking advantage of a defensive opportunity shortly after Barcelona had extended their lead to 3-1.

His goal followed another productive European appearance against Porto earlier in the week.

Before Saturday's match, Flick had already highlighted the Moroccan's ability to beat defenders in one on one situations as Foot Africa reported in its preview of Ezzalzouli's reunion with Barcelona.

Injury concerns ahead of Barcelona's crucial fixtures

Barcelona's victory was accompanied by concerns over two players. Gabriel Jesus was replaced by Gavi in the 79th minute after experiencing physical discomfort.

Eric García also left the pitch late in the match after appearing to suffer an injury, forcing Barcelona to finish with ten players because Flick had already used his substitutions.

The precise nature and severity of those problems have not been confirmed.

What happens next for Barcelona?

Barcelona now have 27 point from nine league matches, preserving their perfect domestic record ahead of two major challenges.

Flick's side will face Paris Saint Germain in the UEFA Champions League on 20 October before hosting Real Madrid in El Clásico on 25 October.

The victory over Betis also extends Barcelona's winning streak across all competitions to 11 matches this season.

While their attacking performance in Seville underlined their impressive momentum, defensive vulnerabilities and the fitness concerns surrounding Gabriel Jesus and Eric García will require attention before the upcoming fixtures.

For Betis, the defeat ends their opportunity to close the gap on the league leaders, although Ezzalzouli's latest goal provides another positive individual contribution in an otherwise frustrating evening for Pellegrini's team.

Khaled Hegazy |

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Journaliste sportif spécialisé dans la couverture du football et la création de contenu numérique, alliant expérience éditoriale et expertise des médias sociaux.

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