5 Things we learned from Barcelona’s stunning win over Real Betis

1. I guess they are just going to win every game they play this season. Obviously I’m being hyperbolic but at this point is there any team in world football that can stop this Barcelona team, as always they got off to a brilliant start just ten minutes in as Kounde played the ball back to Yamal who took on Facundo Bernal before curling an absolutely outrageous effort into the top corner from outside the box to put the La Liga leaders in front. Hansi Flick’s side had control of the game but it was Betis who scored the next goal from a corner as Lo Celso’s delivery went through everyone to the back-post to Fornals who floated the ball back in to Valentin Gomez who headed Betis level in the 26th minute, Betis took real confidence from the goal and went close to going in front through Hector Bellerin but it was Barca who would retake the lead from a corner as Rodri glanced home from Pedri’s inswinger to give Flick’s side the lead again in the 43rd minute. Controversy would strike on the cusp of half-time as the ball bounced around on the edge of the box before Lo Celso swung a missile of a volley that caught Joan Garcia out to pull Betis level once again, or so they thought as upon review the referee was brought to the monitor to analyse a potential handball from Cucho Hernandez in the build-up to the goal. The referee agreed with the VAR and ruled the spectacular goal out as Barcelona went into half-time with the lead by the skin of their teeth.

2. A spectacular second half from Barcelona decimates Real Betis. The first half was a relatively even affair but Flick’s side took complete control of the game immediately in the second 45 as Yamal’s first time cross on his right foot was turned home by Gabriel Jesus to establish a two-goal lead for Barcelona just five minutes into the second half, a two-goal lead that lasted about two minutes as Lo Celso found Ezzalzouli in behind who ran through and finished brilliantly past Garcia to get Betis right back into the game yet again. In the aftermath of the goal however there was a scuffle going on over the Betis goalkeeper Alvaro Valles trying to pick up Fermin Lopez who was on the ground injured following a challenge which both sets of teams took issue with, in the scuffle Facundo Bernal grabbed Lamine Yamal and thrust his head towards the Spaniard which gave the referee no choice but to send Bernal off and leave Betis down to 10-men. A lively start to the second half to say the least, from that point on Barcelona looked more than comfortable and soon restablished their two-goal lead as Yamal’s free-kick deflected off the wall and landed perfectly to Cubarsi who’s header went back across the box leaving Eric Garcia with an open goal to make it 2-4 and essentially kill the game for Barca, Flick’s side did manage to get one more before the end of the game as Dani Olmo ran towards the edge of the box before curling a lovely effort past Valles to put some gloss on the score-line for Barcelona and keep their perfect start to the La Liga season ongoing. Who’s going to stop them?

3. Have we ever seen a team that makes scoring look so easy? With another five goals today it means that Barcelona have scored 39 goals in their first nine La Liga matches this season, on top of that they’ve scored 11 goals in their first two Champions League games which means they’ve scored 50 goals in their opening 11 matches of the season. These numbers are unheard off and Hasni Flick is doing it without a recognisable striker in the squad, after Raphinha’s injury a couple of weeks ago I thought that Barcelona’s momentum would be halted considering they don’t really have anyone else in that position bar Gabriel Jesus who’s barely kicked a ball in the last two seasons but no they’ve just continued battering everyone they play. Lamine Yamal’s form so far this season has been astonishing to say the least and the goal he scored today was from a different planet entirely and encapsulates him as a player perfectly all in one action, I said at the start of the season that I didn’t think that Rodri and Pedri would work together in this midfield due to the partnership not entirely working for Spain but that’s been disproved already as Rodri has taken to Barcelona’s midfield like a duck to water which I suppose should have been expected given his performance in the World Cup over the summer. The defence does continue to leak goals but they were never going to keep a clean sheet away at Betis so I suppose they’ll have to be happy with just the five goals, this team is just a joy to watch at the minute and I would urge any football fan that hasn’t tuned in to a Barca game this season to try your best to be free for their games this season. They will cleanse your eyes to whatever the Premier League clubs bar Man City are serving up in England, trust me from a Man United they will help you enjoy football again. I mean it.

4. Have we really got to the point where we are resting players against Barcelona because we already know the outcome? I completely understand that Betis had a thrilling game against Porto in the Champions League a few days ago but I have to admit I was disappointed to see that Isco and Antony were on the bench along with Troy Parrott who obvious Irish bias aside is clearly a better striker than Cucho Hernandez, with that aside I still thought Betis were more than competitive in the game up until the red card which was stupid from Bernal but the tempers were flaring from the Betis side after the goal was disallowed at the end of the first half. It’s hard to judge Betis defensively as Barcelona have scored three or more goals against basically everyone they’ve played so far thi season but the likes of Fran Garcia, Hector Bellerin and Diego Llorente really struggled out there along with Bernal and Ceballos in midfield, going forward I thought Betis were brilliant at times today with Ezzalzouli clearly having a point to prove against his former club and following on from a maverick performance midweek against Porto. The same can be said for Lo Celso who I thought was Betis’ best player on the night and was so unlucky to have that wondergoal taken away from him at the end of the first half, he set Ezzalzouli up brilliantly for the second Betis goal and clearly still has so much to offer this Betis side despiet not being a guaranteed starter anymore. Overall I think Betis can take plenty of positves from this game and will be kicking themselves for that stupid red card so early into the second half, I’d be shocked if they didn’t make a Champions League spot again this year.

5. What’s up next for these two sides? For Barcelona they have a mouth-watering clash at the Parc Des Princes to look forward to on Tuesday in the Champions League before the first El Clasico of the season on Sunday at the Camp Nou which offers Flick’s side a real opportunity to put one hand on the title already at the end of October which is crazy, for Betis they take on Feyenoord in the Champions League at home on Wednesday before taking a trip to Celta Vigo next Sunday in La Liga. On here tomorrow I’ll have Leeds United vs Man United and one of Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal or Real Madrid vs Sevilla, not sure which one I’ll cover but stay tuned anyway tomorrow. Have a good one.