The key facts

  • Barcelona — 9 wins in 9 La Liga matchdays, 27 points, 39 goals scored; leading by 5 points over Atletico
  • Facundo Bernal sent off in the 54th minute for a headbutt on Yamal
  • On Tuesday Barcelona will play PSG in the Champions League, on 25 October — El Clasico against Real

Barcelona equal the record for the start of the season

Barcelona maintained their perfect start in La Liga, beating Betis 5:2 away. It is the Catalans' ninth consecutive win in the championship — a club record and a match of Real's achievement from the 1968/69 season. According to Anadolu, the team have taken 27 points out of a possible 27 and scored 39 goals in nine matchdays — more than four per game on average. According to AFP, in all competitions Hansi Flick's side have 11 wins in 11 matches, and their lead over second place is five points.

Course of the match

Lamine Yamal opened the scoring in the 10th minute, beating Bernal on the edge of the penalty area and curling the ball into the far top corner. Betis equalised in the 27th minute: Valentin Gomez headed in a Pablo Fornals cross after a corner was worked. In the 41st minute Rodri restored the lead, heading home a Fermín López delivery — according to Anadolu, it was his first goal for the club. In the 51st minute Gabriel Jesus made it 3:1 after a pass from Yamal, but two minutes later Abde Ezzalzouli reduced the deficit. In the 54th minute Facundo Bernal was sent off for a headbutt on Yamal, who himself received a yellow card for his involvement in a clash involving several players. Barcelona took advantage of the numerical superiority: in the 62nd minute Eric Garcia knocked the ball in after a Pau Cubarsí header down, and in the 81st minute substitute Dani Olmo sealed the final score. Giovani Lo Celso's long-range goal for Betis was disallowed due to a handball by Cucho Hernández earlier in the move.

Flick's reaction and match circumstances

Flick called Yamal the best player in the world: 'When you see his first goal — incredible, at the moment he is the best player in the world.' Rodri said on DAZN that the team have 'already got used to' such goals from the 19-year-old winger. Manuel Pellegrini's Betis left a number of players on the bench, including Isco, ahead of the Champions League match against Feyenoord. Raphinha returned from injury as a substitute, and Flick substituted Yamal to avoid the risk of suspension before El Clasico. The match took place at the La Cartuja stadium in Seville.

Standings and other results

Betis remained third with 19 points, eight points behind the leader. Atletico, in second place, snatched a 1:0 win over Espanyol thanks to a goal by Álex Baena in the 89th minute; Diego Simeone's side have won six matches in a row in all competitions. Baena, who won the World Cup with the Spain squad in the summer, scored his fifth goal of the season. Simeone said the World Cup 'took him to another level'. Real, in fourth, will host Sevilla on Sunday. In other matchday fixtures, Villarreal drew 0:0 with Elche.

Upcoming matches

On Tuesday Barcelona will play away against the reigning Champions League winners PSG, and on 25 October they will host Real at Camp Nou in El Clasico — a win would allow them to break Real's record for the best start to a season in La Liga.