Barcelona’s LaLiga juggernaut rolled into Seville on Saturday and left with the scoreboard smoking, as the leaders beat Real Betis 5-2 to make it nine wins from nine and stretch their blistering league tally to 39 goals.
Lamine Yamal lit the fuse with a dazzling opener before Rodri, Gabriel Jesus, Eric Garcia and substitute Dani Olmo joined the party, while Valentin Gomez and Ez Abde replied for Betis, who played much of the second half with 10 men after Facundo Bernal was sent off for headbutting Lamine.
Barca moved to 27 points, five above Atletico who won 1-0 at Espanyol, while third-placed Betis have 19 and Real Madrid sit fourth on 18 before welcoming Sevilla on Sunday, Betis Manager Manuel Pellegrini made eight changes from the side that beat Porto 3-2 in the Champions League, resting several key players including Antony, Marc Bartra, Natan and Isco with a midweek European meeting against Feyenoord in mind.
Yet the hosts still made Barca sweat before the visitors eventually found space, rhythm and, after Betis were reduced to 10 men, plenty of room to turn the match into another attacking exhibition.
Lamine opened the scoring in the 10th minute in familiar style, gliding in from the right before whipping a left-footed strike from the edge of the box into the top corner.
Betis levelled in the 27th when Pablo Fornals collected a rebound on the right and clipped a cross into the middle for Gomez, who rose highest to head past goalkeeper Joan Garcia.
Barcelona reclaimed the lead in the 41st minute when Spain captain Rodri powered in a ?header from Fermin Lopez’s corner.
Betis thought they had equalised three minutes later through Gio Lo Celso’s spectacular swivelling volley from outside the box, but the effort was ruled out after Cucho Hernandez was adjudged to have handled earlier in the build-up.
Jesus, signed from Arsenal in the close season, had a goal disallowed for offside shortly after the break but was not kept waiting long. In the 51st, Lamine darted down the right and squared for the Brazilian to finish neatly inside the area.
A minute later Abde pulled one back on the counter, sliding a low shot inside the right post, but Betis’ celebrations turned sour when Bernal was shown a straight red card following a scuffle. Lamine was booked for his part in the altercation.
Barcelona made it 4-2 in the 63rd minute when Alvaro Valles failed to deal with Lamine’s free kick and Pau Cubarsi headed the loose ball back across goal for Garcia to tap in.
Olmo completed the rout in the 81st minute, curling a right-footed shot into the top corner from outside the box.
Atletico won 1-0 at Espanyol, with Baena coming off the bench to deliver the late sting in a cagey match in Barcelona.
Both sides struck the post in a tight tactical contest before Atletico’s substitutes combined in the 89th, Julian Alvarez bursting down the left and squaring for Baena, who drove a fierce strike into the top corner from the edge of the box.