Liga, Barcelona-Betis 4-0: Lewandowski scores, Yamal makes his debut

Barcelona and Lewandowski respond to Madrid and Benzema. Xavi’s team beat Betis 4-0 keeping their 11-point lead over their rivals, now with 6 games to go. Barça’s 27th Liga title is getting closer and closer. Benzema scored 3 goals against Almeria, coming within 1 of Lewandowski in the ‘pichichi’ standings, the Pole responded with a goal: we are 19 to 17 and the fight is wide open. For the two rivals today also a post each. In the finale Xavi made the 15-year-old Lamine Yamal make his debut.

Injury and goal

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Xavi recovered Christensen and Dembélé: the Frenchman started on the bench (he came on in the 73rd minute for Raphinha after a 3-month break welcomed by great applause), the Dane started and scored after 14′ with a great header from a left-handed cross of Raphinha from the right. Christensen missed 5 games and this was his first goal for the Blaugrana. It came at a time of confusion for the Betis defence: Luis Felipe was injured and Edgar had just entered in his place. Time to register the new central couple and Barça had already taken advantage of it.

Poor Edgar

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The Betis centre-back was decidedly unlucky: he came on in the 13th minute, trailing in the 14th minute, booked a first time in the 24th minute for a tackle that wasn’t even a foul, and a second time in the 33rd minute. Undeserved expulsion and Betis in an emergency.

One two

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And sunk with a tremendous one-two: in the 36th minute Lewandowski scored with a first touch from a cross from the right by Kounde and in the 39th minute it was 3-0 from Raphinha who controlled with his right foot and turned in post with the left on a perfect cut by Busquets. The referee canceled for offside, the Var corrected the decision, the two lines overlapped.

Double ovation to Joaquin

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In the second half, Lewandowski’s post arrived (58′) then the entry of Ansu Fati and De Jong. And in the 64th minute, here is Joaquin: a spectacular ovation greeted the 41-year-old Betis player, who announced his retirement at the end of the season. Before quitting he can become the player with the most matches in the history of La Liga, currently held by Zubizarreta. To do this, he will always have to play in the last 6 days, he is at 617 with the former goalkeeper who stopped at 622, and last night he hurt his right knee in a tackle with Kounde and left the field in the 80th minute. with Betis without changes, getting another ovation.

Class of 2007

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With Barça in 10 a very unlucky Betis conceded the fourth goal: Ansu Fati’s cross shot deflected behind Rui Patricio by Guido Rodriguez. And a moment later the 88,510 spectators at the Camp Nou were back on their feet: this time the applause is for Lamine Yamal, a boy born on 13 July 2007 who replaced Gavi (born in 2004). He is the youngest La Liga rookie in Barcelona’s history, and fifth all-time in the Spanish league in a league table led by now Lazio’s Luka Romero. In a few minutes, the boy came close to scoring a goal, a great save by Rui Patricio, and showed details of the highest quality. A new star seems to have been born in the ever prolific Masía blaugrana.