Barcelona's campaign for their 27th La Liga title took another step forward as they thrashed 10-man Real Betis 4-0 on Saturday, extending their lead to 11 points over second-placed Real Madrid with only six games remaining.
The match began with a breakthrough for Barcelona when Andreas Christensen scored in the 14th minute, heading in a cross from Raphinha. Betis defender Edgar Gonzalez was then sent off in the 33rd minute, receiving two yellow cards for bad tackles, leaving the visitors down to 10 men.
Barcelona took advantage of the situation, with Robert Lewandowski scoring a goal in the 36th minute from an assist by Jules Kounde. Two minutes later, Raphinha's goal was initially ruled out by the assistant referee for offside but was later confirmed after a VAR review.
The hosts continued to dominate the game, and Guido Rodriguez scored an own goal in the 73rd minute while trying to clear an Ansu Fati cross in the six-yard-box, securing the win for Barcelona.
Barcelona's coach Xavi Hernandez introduced 15-year-old winger Lamine Yamal, making him the club's youngest ever debutant in La Liga, during the closing minutes of the game.
The victory was an essential response to Barcelona's 2-1 defeat against Rayo Vallecano in midweek, and the players' performance showed they had learned from their mistakes.
"We needed to respond, and winning by a large margin was important to have more confidence," said Raphinha, who scored one goal and provided an assist in the match. "We needed a little more attitude, needed to stay with the ball, and if we want to win the league, it has to be like that in every game."
Barcelona now look forward to their upcoming games, confident that they can continue their impressive run and secure another La Liga title.