Barcelona beat Betis 5-2 before facing PSG

Before taking on Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, Barcelona beat Real Betis 5-2 on Saturday in the ninth round of the Spanish league. The defending champions now hold a five-point lead at the top over Atlético Madrid, who defeated Espanyol with a decisive goal.

The result came during a run that Mosaique FM describes as Barcelona’s 13th consecutive win in all competitions. The team, coached by Hansi Flick and featuring Lamine Yamal, has also scored at least three goals in each of its last nine matches, the same source reports. Barcelona had beaten Galatasaray 4-1 on Tuesday and, according to the match account, scored four goals for a second successive game.

Real Betis pulled goals back through Valentín Gómez and then Abdessamad Ezzalzouli. But Facundo Bernal was sent off in the 54th minute after heading Lamine Yamal. Barcelona then extended its lead: Eric Garcia scored in the 62nd minute and Dani Olmo in the 81st. Rodri had also scored for Barcelona in the 41st minute, heading in a corner taken by Fermín López. It was his first goal for the club since arriving from Manchester City, the match account said.

Raphinha also returned to action during the game. The Brazilian Barcelona winger, who had missed two matches with an injury, came on in the second half. His return comes ahead of the meeting with Paris Saint-Germain, scheduled for Tuesday in the third round of the Champions League league phase.

In La Liga, Real Betis sit third with 19 points after nine matches. Their record stands at six wins, one draw and two defeats, with 16 goals scored and 14 conceded. At home, they have won four of five matches, scoring 10 goals and conceding seven.

For Barcelona, the win provides a clear result before the European meeting with Paris Saint-Germain. For Betis, it comes despite their place near the top of the table and a positive home record.