Barcelona win 5-2 at 10-man Betis to match La Liga's best-ever start with nine straight wins

Barcelona beat Real Betis 5-2 at La Cartuja in Seville on Saturday 17 October for a ninth straight La Liga win. ESPN and the club said this equals the best start to a league season, set by Real Madrid in 1968-69.

Lamine Yamal curled in the opener from outside the area in the 10th minute. Valentín Gómez headed Betis level from a corner. Rodri headed Barcelona back in front from a corner in the 41st minute, his first goal for the club. Shortly afterwards, a long-range goal by Betis’s Giovani Lo Celso was ruled out after a video review for a handball by Cucho Hernández, according to LaLiga’s match centre.

Gabriel Jesus made it 3-1 from a Yamal pass in the 51st minute. Abde Ezzalzouli replied for Betis two minutes later. In the scuffle that followed, Betis’s Facundo Bernal was shown a straight red card for violent conduct and Yamal was booked, LaLiga recorded.

Eric García and substitute Dani Olmo scored Barcelona’s fourth and fifth goals. García later went off injured after Barcelona had used all their substitutes, and Gabriel Jesus was substituted because of an injury, according to LaLiga. Raphinha returned from injury as a substitute.

Barcelona have 27 points from nine games, ESPN’s table showed. Betis, third before kick-off, stay on 19. Barcelona play Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday and play Real Madrid in La Liga next Sunday.