La Liga Round-Up: Barcelona defeated Real Betis to close in on Real Madrid
La Liga Round-Up this week will be full of dramas as Barcelona defeated Real Betis in a six-goal match. At the same time, Real Madrid came from behind to edge past Almeria.
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La Liga Summary of MD21
A Ferran Torres’ hat-trick helped the Catalan side beat Betis with a 4-2 scoreline. The same evening, Real Madrid needed Dani Carvajal’s last-minute winner to overcome a tough bottom-standing Almeria.
However, Girona still stand atop the standings after they thrashed Sevilla 5-1. Barcelona are third with 44 points, seven behind Real Madrid while Girona, who have played more than one game, are top of the league.
Barcelona 4-2 Real Betis
Torres fired a glorious hat-trick as Barcelona closed the gap on La Liga leaders Real Madrid to seven points with a thrilling 4-2 win at Real Betis.
Xavi’s men looked in complete control at the Benito Villamarin in Seville as Torres struck on 21 and 48 minutes to give Barca a commanding 2-0 lead.
Manuel Pellegrini’s home side had been passive until that point. Still, it turned the match on its head when Isco struck with two sublime finishes in 56 and 59 minutes to level at 2-2.
With the game was wide open for both sides, the winner could have arrived at either end, but Barca applied the finish to a clinical attacking move when he netted with the outside of his boot with substitute João Félix provided the assist in the final minute.
And it was the former Man City man who completed the scoring when he bounded onto a pass from the excellent Lamine Yamal deep in added time to finalise a vital three points for the visitors with a superb chipped finish.
Torres is the first Spanish international to score a LaLiga hat-trick for Barcelona since Pedro in September 2013.
Real Madrid 3-2 Almeria
It was almost David against Goliath when the visitors scored twice to earn a two-goal lead into halftime.
Largie Ramazani scored from inside the area in the first minute, and Edgar González found the top corner with a long-range strike in the 43rd.
However, a blunt Madrid, who had no attempts on target in the first half, revived after three changes made at halftime.
Nacho was at fault for both conceded goals and was subbed off by Brahim Díaz, Ferland Mendy with Fran García and Rodrygo with Joselu.
Madrid were fresh with the changes, and Bellingham moved Madrid closer by converting a penalty kick in the 57th after VAR. The referee determined there was a handball by an Almeria defender. Bellingham calmly rolled his shot from the spot into the middle of the net. It was his 14th league goal in his first season with Madrid.
Almeria thought it had regained a two-goal lead when Sergio Arribas scored in a 61st-minute breakaway. Still, a video review said there was a foul by Almeria player Dion Lopy in the buildup.
In the 67th, the referee disallowed Vinícius Júnior’s goal because of a handball. Then, VAR notified the referee again, and he said the Brazil forward used his shoulder to score.
There’s plenty of this game still to play. 11 minutes have been added and at Bernabeu, no one was safe.
And Almeria, who had yet to win any game this season, witness the worst nightmare when Carvajal was on the end of Bellingham’s knockdown header to give Real Madrid the win.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side somehow manage to turn the game around in the second half to win 3-2 after trailing by two goals at the break. Almeria, however, can feel aggrieved after multiple VAR intentions that went against them.
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TOM is a dedicated soccer writer whose words come alive on the page, mirroring the electric energy of the pitch. With a keen eye for detail and an unbridled love for the sport
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