From the “worst game of the seasonâ€, in the words of Xavi Hernández, to what was surely the most placid victory in the League for the leader. Barcelona had the game resolved in the 40th minute. When the VAR validated Raphinha’s goal, the blaugrana were already winning 3-0 against Betis, who also played with one less player due to the expulsion of Édgar. Everything went wrong for the Béticos, who after playing for an hour with 10 added two injuries while Barça did not forgive after fighting for so long against misfortunes.
After the course in which they have suffered a lot to carry out some games, with many victories by the minimum, Barcelona could hardly believe it. Almost as admirable as the abundant rain that watered the city at football time.
Xavi’s team has two faces. When he plays at home and when he travels Madrid, Getafe or Vallecas. When Real Madrid win and put pressure on them or when the whites drop points and give them a golden opportunity. On Wednesday he barely replied to Rayo when he could sentence the title. On the other hand, against Betis they did not miss the opportunity to be happy on the fast track, something that has not been usual.
The Camp Nou had not seen more than two goals from his Barça since February 5. Almost two months after scoring three against Sevilla, their Verdiblancos neighbors were also thrashed.
Despite Vallecas’ displeasure, the Terrassa coach only made two changes to the eleven, but they benefited the structure and order of his team. Unlike Dembélé, who waited on the bench, Christensen went directly from nursing to starting. The Danish, without making noise, without having to pay a transfer, has become essential. With the reappearance of the central defender, Barça recovered its starting defence. It is not the only thing with which the leader has been reunited. The four midfielders got back together since Busquets was not in Vallecas due to suspension while Pedri and De Jong are getting into tune after being discharged against Atlético. They are automatisms that the blaugrana have missed and that a still growing team still sees too much.
Later, as they tried to finish the season well, it was Dembélé’s turn, absent for three months. Everything is ready, then, to have fun in the end after a very suffered League.
Since there are no coincidences, Barça had that pause and the good decisions that cost them so much at decisive moments. The three assists of the goals were three treaties of how half-done goals are given. Three gifts, three chocolates. Three plays that the finishers pretty much just had to push into the net.
Raphinha is one of those players who sometimes seem troubled, that there are days when the successes are discussed, that everything that begins does not end well. Even Lewandowski had to ask him to calm down at the start. But if the Brazilian has something, it’s good ball hitting and he showed it again in the center that made it 1-0. The winger curled his left foot over the Betic defense, Araújo narrowly missed but Christensen did, who made his debut as a director as a Barcelona player with a header from point-blank range.
The goal, as it has happened more than once and twice, did not sit well with Barcelona, ​​which approached Ter Stegen. However, the expulsion of Édgar for a double yellow clipped his wings. The center-back, who had come on as a substitute before the first quarter of an hour, barely spent 20 minutes on the field.
Xavi’s men launched themselves for the goal of peace of mind and took perfect advantage of the visitor’s confusion. As soon as they were left with one more player, Barça reflected that superiority on the scoreboard. Gavi saw Koundé on the right and the Frenchman put a low cross into the heart of the box where Lewandowski entered like a hunter to cross first into the net. With the target, the nineteenth in the League, the Pole does not let Benzema intimidate him in the fight for the Pichichi.
And with Betis still settling down and trying to do a damage analysis, the third came. Busquets raised his head and saw Raphinha’s unchecking and placed a through pass that dismasted the visitors’ defense to leave the Brazilian alone in front of the goalkeeper. Raphinha did not fail one on one. Initially the goal was annulled for offside but the VAR validated the position of the winger who celebrated it with the same glee as when he doesn’t like substitutions.
There was the party for celebrations in the second part. This is how Dembélé was received and later the Camp Nou wanted to also dedicate an ovation to JoaquÃn, the Betic legend who is retiring. There were not one but two because shortly after entering he retired injured. Coinciding with the 4-0, at Guido’s own goal when he deflected a shot from Ansu Fati, came the historic debut of a boy, Lamine Yamal, who at the age of 15 stepped onto the La Liga pitch for the first time. The young talent born after the Champions League in Paris. A record for a Barça that recovers its smile and that makes the cava cool.
Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Koundé, Araujo, Christensen (Marcos Alonso 59), Bucket; Sergio Busquets, Frenkie de Jong (Ansu Fati 59), Pedri (Kessie 73); Raphinha (Dembélé 73), Lewandowski and Gavi (Lamine Yamal 83).
Betis: Rui Silva; Montoya, Pezzella, Luiz Felipe (Edgar Gonzalez 12), Miranda (Joaquin 64); Carvalho, Guido Rodriguez; Luiz Henry (Paul Akouokou 46), Ayoze (Abner 64), Canales (Jaime 75); and Willian Joseph.
Goals: 1-0 Christensen (14). 2-0, Lewandowski (36). 3-0, Raphinha (39). 4-0, Guido Rodriguez (pp) (82)
Referee: Carlos del Cerro Grande (Madrid Committee). He sent off Edgar González for a double warning (min.24 and min.33). He admonished Manuel Pellegrini (min.34).
Incidents: match of day 32 of LaLiga Santander played at the Spotify Camp Nou before 88,530 spectators. Before the match, the Barça fans gave JoaquÃn Sánchez an ovation, who will retire once the current season is over