Ferran Torres scored a first-half hat-trick as Barcelona secured a 5-3 victory over Real Betis in La Liga. The win moved the Catalans four points clear at the top of the table. Roony Bardghji also starred with a goal and two assists on a rare start.
Barcelona traveled to Seville for a La Liga clash against Real Betis on December 6, 2025, kicking off at 17:30 GMT. The visitors, under Hansi Flick, entered the match with five successive league wins and a perfect record since their season's first Clasico defeat, having edged above Real Madrid to top the table.
Real Betis, managed by Manuel Pellegrini, were in strong form with six wins and two draws in their last eight games across all competitions, including a 2-0 derby victory over Sevilla. Pellegrini, who recently signed a contract extension until 2027, commented pre-match: "It will be a very difficult match; Barcelona are in good form. But so are we, we’re playing at home, and the three points would be important. We have to play a very complete game. Barcelona attack constantly, so we can’t make defensive mistakes because they have a lot of technical quality. With good offensive transitions, we can hurt them."
The game started with Betis taking the lead after seven minutes through Antony, who swivelled and shot past Joan Garcia after efforts from Cucho Hernandez and Pablo Fornals. Barcelona responded quickly, equalizing in the 12th minute when Bardghji slipped in Jules Kounde for a cross that Torres turned in at the near post.
Torres struck again in the 14th minute, acrobatically finishing Bardghji's cross past Alvaro Valles. Bardghji, on his third league start, added his name to the scoresheet around the 30-minute mark, running onto Pedri’s through ball and finishing with his right foot. Four minutes before halftime, Torres completed his hat-trick—his 11th league goal of the season—with a shot that deflected into the net after Pedri's pass.
After the break, Betis wasted a chance when Antony shot weakly at Garcia. The hosts' hopes faded in the 55th minute when a Marcus Rashford shot struck Marc Bartra's arm, leading to a penalty converted by Lamine Yamal for Barcelona's fifth.
Diego Llorente prodded home from a corner late on, and Cucho Hernandez scored from the spot after Jules Kounde's foul, but Barcelona held firm for the 5-3 win. This result extends Betis' wait for a home league victory over Barcelona since 2008.
Barcelona's confirmed lineup featured Joan Garcia in goal; Kounde, Cubarsi, Garcia, Balde in defense; Pedri, Martin in midfield; and attackers Yamal, Bardghji, Rashford, and Torres. Frenkie de Jong and Raphinha started on the bench, with De Jong sidelined by a heavy cold. Betis lined up with Valles; Ruibal, Bartra, Natan, Gómez; Altimira, Roca; Antony, Fornals, Abde; Cucho.
