Real Madrid delivered a dominant performance at the Santiago Bernabeu, defeating Real Betis 5-1 in La Liga with a hat-trick from Gonzalo Garcia. The win marks three successive victories for Xabi Alonso's second-placed side, despite Kylian Mbappe's absence. Betis, in sixth place, showed brief resistance but couldn't overcome Madrid's attacking prowess.
Real Madrid produced a commanding display against Real Betis, sweeping to a 5-1 victory that highlighted their title-chasing credentials in La Liga. The match at the Santiago Bernabeu saw Gonzalo Garcia emerge as the star, scoring a hat-trick in the absence of Kylian Mbappe, while Federico Valverde provided two assists.
Madrid set the tone early, dominating possession and creating chances through Vinicius Junior on the left flank. The breakthrough came in the 20th minute when Rodrygo's free-kick found Garcia at the back post; the young forward headed back across goal and into the bottom corner for his first La Liga goal of the season.
Betis struggled to respond, managing only speculative shots that failed to test Thibaut Courtois. Their best chance before half-time was Juan Hernandez glancing a header over the bar, leaving Madrid 1-0 up at the interval.
The second half saw Madrid surge ahead. Five minutes after the restart, Valverde's precise pass allowed Garcia to control on his chest and fire low into the net, doubling the lead. From a Rodrygo corner soon after, Raul Asencio powered home a header to make it 3-0.
Betis briefly threatened, with Giovani Lo Celso's free-kick hitting the post and forcing saves from Courtois. Hernandez capitalized on a defensive error in the 66th minute, rounding the goalkeeper to score and reduce the deficit to 3-1.
Momentum shifted back quickly as substitute Arda Guler released Garcia for his third goal, a clever flick into the far corner. In stoppage time, Valverde's delivery from the right enabled Fran Garcia to smash home the fifth unmarked at the far post.
The result leaves Alonso's team four points behind leaders Barcelona after three straight wins, though earlier performances were unconvincing. Betis, with just one defeat in 13 games across competitions, remain sixth and eyeing European qualification.
