Barcelona 3-4 Real Betis
Real Betis pulled off the result of the season with a stunning win at the Camp Nou to lift themselves up the table and give Barca’s title rivals an unlikely boost.
Fans and pundits alike expected La Liga: Barcelona vs Real Betis to be a regulation home win for the league leaders, but Betis stormed two goals ahead in the first half and never gave up their lead.
Quique Setien’s team put up a tremendous fight and a performance to be proud of, defying the Barcelona vs Real Betis odds in spectacular fashion. Earlier on, a dramatic last-minute winner for Atletico against Athletic Bilbao had reduced Barca’s lead at the top to a single point. And with Alaves also winning to draw level with Atletico, there was a little added pressure on the Champions. Ernesto Valverde’s men faltered badly.
But it was all credit to Real Betis who took the game to their illustrious hosts to plunder all three points.
Highlights of the game
When the pre-match Barcelona vs Real Betis news revealed that Lionel Messi was playing, fans at the Camp Nou had an early celebration. And he nearly gave them another in the very first minute when Malcom put him in only for his shot to fly wide. And it was all Barca in the early stages as Luis Suarez had a shot blocked and Malcom also came close.
Loren Moron had an opportunity for Betis when Joaquin crossed, but his close-range effort narrowly missed. At the other end, Messi continued to threaten but had another effort blocked.
Betis haven’t really been firing in the early stages of the La Liga season, but they exploded into life and shook this game up with two goals before the break to stun the home crowd. Junior Firpo fired home the first on 20 minutes after good work from William Carvalho, which prompted a response from Barca pressing for an instant response and Messi again having a shot blocked. But the hosts were two down before they could draw level when Cristian Tello found Joaquin in space, and the 27-year-old midfielder slotted coolly into the bottom-left corner.
Luis Suarez destroyed Real Madrid in the recent El Clasico but he blazed over when he had a clear chance just before the break.
Valverde rang the changes at half-time, bringing on Arturo Vidal to replace Arthur. The Chilean enforcer had an effort on goal immediately when Suarez found him in space, but his shot was easily saved. Messi came close again, but Real Betis were in no mood to sit back. Giovani Lo Celso, on loan from PSG, was in lively form, having one shot saved before another effort sailed over the bar.
Suarez came close when Messi gave him an opportunity. Barca eventually got right back in the game on 65 minutes when Cristian Tello fouled Jordi Alba in the box and the referee pointed to the spot. Up stepped Messi to bang the ball home and seemingly set up a fight-back.
But Betis amazingly restored their two-goal lead, and it was that man Lo Celso who scored the third. Tello redeemed himself by setting up the goal, and the PSG man did the rest by firing into the bottom-left corner. The game continued at break-neck speed, and the champions were back in the game again with over ten minutes to go. Munir El Haddadi passed to Vidal, and the midfielder fired into the top right corner, 2-3.
Two minutes later, Barca were down to ten men when Ivan Rakitic picked up his second yellow for a bad foul. And then, would you believe it, Betis restored their two-goal lead when Firpo crossed for Sergio Canales to convert from close range?
Messi grabbed his second deep into stoppage time, but there was no more he could do to stop brave Betis.
Key Statistics
Our SBOBET odds had Barca as overwhelming favourites to win the game but Betis gave it a real go, with 45 per cent possession and 15 shots to the hosts’ 20.
This was no fluke and a well-deserved win for the visitors, and they are now unbeaten in four in all competitions.
The head-to-heads are still heavily in Barca’s favour but Betis dragged one back to make it 27 to nine.
What’s next?
Now, Ernesto Valverde’s team has a huge game on the 24th November when they head to Madrid to take on Atletico.
Meanwhile, Real Betis visit Villarreal. The Yellow Submarine made a slow start to the campaign, and Los Verdiblancos can win again if they play half as well as they did today.
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