“When we play as team, everything works.” Those were Hansi Flick’s words before this tricky fixture away to Betis, and the players certainly gave him everything he wanted. A highly convincing 5-3 win ensures they remain top of the league table for another week regardless of what Real Madrid achieve against Celta tomorrow.

the game as it happened

And for the third game in a row and the fifth in total this league season, Barça won after conceding the first goal. Ferran Torres fired in a first half hat-trick (amazingly not even his fastest ever in a Barça shirt), Roony Bardghji scored his first ever goal for the club (and what a first goal it was), and midfielder (yes, midfielder) Lamine Yamal got in on the act from the penalty spot to make it 5-1.

The win is all the more impressive because Betis, fifth in the league going into the weekend, were not playing bad football at all. But while absolutely everything was going absolutely right for Barça, the home side couldn’t find more goals until it was too late. Two late strikes roused the home supporters, but there was no way the green-and-whites were getting anything more out of this game.

Quick revival

For Barça to come back from behind is nothing rare these days. But it will rarely happen quite so quickly as it did today.

As the game got off at a breakneck pace, Betis needed just six minutes to snatch an early lead through Anthony, who looked offside but Jules Kounde was ahead of him by the teeniest of distances.

Barça looked unfazed by the early setback. They’ve been in this situation before and turned things round. There was no reason why the couldn’t do it again.

No reason indeed. Kounde was involved again just five minutes later as his cross was finished off by Ferran Torres at the near post. That was 1-1 already.

Ferran-tastic

And the away fans were still celebrating the equaliser when the ‘Shark’ gave them another goal to celebrate. On the end of the sweetest of assists from Roony, Torres volleyed home through the legs of goalkeeper Álvaro Valles.

If starting Roony had been a gamble on Flick’s part, it was a gamble that paid off. The Swede was a constant threat as Barça pressed forward in search of more. Though his spectacular overhead kick attempt didn’t work out, the way he rifled home an exquisite through ball from Pedri was simply stunning. Not only that, but the right foot he used isn’t even his strongest… What a way to score your first goal for Barça!

Four and five

And three goals became four when Torres completed his hat-trick before the half-time whistle had even blown. It was an ambitious strike and it looked like Valles had it covered but a slight deflection off a defender was enough to confound the Betis stopper and Barça led 4-1 at break. Amazing!

To their credit, Betis never let their heads drop, but try as they did Joan García was rarely seriously challenged and instead it was Valles who remained busier in the second half, including a magnificent save to deny Lamine Yamal.

Playing in midfield, Yamal seemed quieter than usual, but he also got his name on the scoresheet when Barça were handed a penalty for a rather unfortunate accidental handball by former blaugrana Marc Bartra.

The gentlest of spot kicks rolled over the line and now it was 5-1.

Too late for Betis

Barça had further chances to score. Ferran could have completed a 'poker’ had he managed to connect with a Lamine cross, and Marcus Rashford will wish he had done better when he was clean though on goal.

Instead, Betis burst into life in the final minutes. Pablo García’s goal was disallowed by the most minuscule margin possible, but there was nothing wrong with Diego Llorente’s on 85 minutes.

What was little more than a consolation goal suddenly mattered for a lot more when Kounde brought down his former team-mate Ez Abde in the area and the referee pointed at the spot.

Colombian international Cucho Hernández tucked home the kick, and that made it 5-3.

Three massive points

La Cartuja, Betis’ temporary home while their usual stadium in under redevelopment, erupted in the expectation of the most unlikely of revivals.

And they did have another chance or two before the final whistle blew on a thoroughly entertaining game packed with talking points, but the most important one of all is that Barça are coming back from Seville with three points among their luggage, and thanks to a fabulous all-round performance.

    of
    Força Barça