Barcelona made it nine wins from nine in La Liga on Saturday, beating Real Betis 5-2 at La Cartuja in Seville to equal the record start Real Madrid set in 1968-69 — and they did it with five different scorers in a game that swung from chaos to control.
Hansi Flick's side arrived facing their toughest test yet: Betis began the day third in the table. They left five points clear at the top, with 39 league goals scored and 11 wins from 11 in all competitions, and with Raphinha back from injury as a second-half substitute — the return we previewed when Raphinha neared fitness earlier this week.
Yamal Sets the Tone in Seville
Lamine Yamal opened the scoring in the 10th minute, turning sharply on the edge of the box and curling a left-footed shot into the top corner. Betis levelled in the 27th minute when Valentin Gomez headed in Pablo Fornals' cross, but Barcelona retook the lead four minutes before half-time, Rodri heading home from a corner after goalkeeper Alvaro Valles hesitated.
Betis thought they had equalised again almost immediately, only for Giovani Lo Celso's spectacular volley to be ruled out by VAR for a handball by Cucho Hernandez in the build-up — the moment the home crowd's frustration boiled over.
As Sports Mole noted, Barcelona are only the second team in La Liga history to win their opening nine fixtures, matching a Madrid record that had stood alone for 57 years.
Red Card Turns a Thriller Into a Rout
The second half was frantic. Yamal set up Gabriel Jesus to make it 3-1 in the 51st minute, Abde Ezzalzouli pulled one straight back two minutes later, and then Betis midfielder Facundo Bernal was sent off for an altercation with Yamal in which he appeared to grab the winger by the neck before headbutting him.
Against ten men, Barcelona finished the job. Eric Garcia added a fourth in the 62nd minute and substitute Dani Olmo sealed it in the 81st, completing a scoreline that, as TSN put it, matched the best start in La Liga history ahead of El Clasico.
What This Means for Barcelona, Madrid and the Title Race
Now comes the week that defines the record. Barcelona travel to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday, then host Real Madrid at Camp Nou on Sunday, October 25 — where a win would make them the first team ever to start a La Liga season with ten straight victories, taking the record outright from the very club that has held it since 1968.
Madrid, fourth and hosting Sevilla on Sunday, are running out of room for error, and their own week is just as demanding — even after tying down their midfield cornerstone, as our report on Bellingham covered. Barcelona's defence remains the one question mark — Betis scored twice and had a third ruled out — but no side in Spain can currently match their firepower.
Beyond the Final Whistle: Nine from nine, 39 goals, and a 57-year-old Madrid record matched in Madrid's rivals' colours — this is no longer a hot start, it is a statement season taking shape. Barcelona's attack is the best in Spain by a distance, and if they beat Madrid next Sunday they will own the record outright and, in all likelihood, the title race with it. Can anyone stop Flick's Barcelona — or is the perfect ten already a formality? Tell us in the comments.
