Barcelona continued their impressive start to the season with a 5-2 win over Real Betis, matching Real Madrid’s record of nine consecutive victories at the start of a La Liga campaign.
Lamine Yamal was once again at the heart of the action, opening the scoring with a brilliant solo effort and earning praise from Hansi Flick, who described him as the best player in the world. However, the win came at a cost, with several injury concerns emerging ahead of two huge fixtures against Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.
Eric Garcia suffered a quad injury that is expected to keep him out until 22 November, while Jules Kounde picked up an ankle problem that rules him out of the PSG clash and leaves his availability for El Clasico on 25 October in doubt.
Gerard Martin and Gabriel Jesus are also carrying minor knocks, adding to Flick’s concerns at the back. Andreas Christensen remains sidelined until the end of the month, while Roony Bardghji is still recovering from a torn ACL.
Despite the attacking quality of Yamal, Dani Olmo and Rodri, these absences could test Barcelona’s squad depth at a crucial point in the season.
Betis boss Manuel Pellegrini felt the scoreline was harsh on his side, pointing to a disallowed Giovani Lo Celso goal and Facundo Bernal’s red card. Still, Barcelona got the job done, even if the growing injury list could make the coming week considerably more difficult.