Torres hits Barcelona hat-trick against Real Betis in La Liga goalfest

Barcelona widen their pb astatine the apical of La Liga to 4 points but Real Betis springiness defending champions a precocious scare.

Ferran Torres deed a first-half hat-trick for Barcelona arsenic they eased the woes connected their travels with a 5-3 win successful La Liga astatine Champions League chasing Real Betis.

The Spanish guardant netted doubly successful the archetypal 13 minutes of the crippled connected Saturday – but not earlier the Seville-based hosts had opened the scoring done erstwhile Manchester United winger Antony.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 4Jaiswal scores ton arsenic Kohli, Rohit rotation backmost the years for ODI bid win
• list 2 of 4Trump gets FIFA’s caller bid prize
• list 3 of 4Infantino’s ‘Peace Prize’ to Trump raises questions astir FIFA’s neutrality
• list 4 of 4Iranian delegation successful the US for World Cup gully aft threatening boycott

Roony Bardghji slid location Barca’s 3rd from conscionable wrong the container successful the 31st minute.

Having netted with 2 close-range finishes aboriginal successful the match, the 2nd a well-executed volley, Torres past completed his hat-trick successful the 40th infinitesimal with a deflected effort from extracurricular the box.

Lamine Yamal appeared to person settled the lucifer from the punishment spot successful the 59th infinitesimal aft Barca were controversially awarded the footwear for handball.

Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford, a teammate of Antony’s for the entirety of the latter’s Old Trafford career, deed a thrust from the borderline of the container which struck the limb of Marc Bartra. Betis protested their man’s limb was choky to his body, which was struck first, but the referee was convinced, courtesy of a VAR intervention.

Betis had a sting successful the process inactive to travel erstwhile Fernando Llorente pulled 1 backmost with 5 minutes to play, portion Cucho Hernandez converted a punishment successful the last infinitesimal of mean time.

Six minutes of added time, thereafter, was not capable for Betis to prize a choky decorativeness and contradict Barca their infinitesimal arsenic they moved 4 points wide of Real Madrid, who play Celta Vigo connected Sunday.

The emergence of Torres has been singular arsenic helium has grown from a seat subordinate to go Hansi Flick’s most-used striker. The guardant has much starts than Robert Lewandowski, who, astatine 37, is seeing his playing clip reduced.

Torres leads Barcelona successful scoring with 13 goals, 11 coming successful La Liga. Only Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe, with 16, has much goals successful the home league.

Lewandowski and Raphinha ne'er near the seat for Barcelona. That volition permission some rested for erstwhile Barcelona big Eintracht Frankfurt connected Tuesday successful the Champions League.

Fermín Lopez, meanwhile, returned arsenic a second-half substitute aft the Barcelona midfielder missed 2 games with a limb injury.

Elsewhere, Tajon Buchanan and Georges Mikautadze scored to assistance Villarreal bushed Getafe 2-0 and enactment successful 3rd place, 1 constituent down Madrid.

Alaves upset Real Sociedad 1-0 successful a Basque Country determination derby.