Barcelona failed to break down a resilient Real Betis side in a 1-1 draw at the Camp Nou on Saturday, but still managed to widen their lead at the top of LaLiga after Real Madrid’s dramatic 2-1 home loss to Valencia earlier in the day.
The result moves Barcelona four points clear of their eternal rivals ahead of a crucial Champions League week. Real Madrid are set to face Arsenal in the first leg of their quarter-final clash on Tuesday, while Barcelona travel to Borussia Dortmund the following day.
⚽ Match Summary: Barcelona 1-1 Real Betis
Barça made an early breakthrough when Gavi latched onto a pass and calmly slotted the ball past goalkeeper Adrián in the 7th minute. But Betis responded swiftly, with centre-back Natan Souza rising highest to power home a header from Giovani Lo Celso’s corner in the 16th minute.
From that point forward, Barcelona controlled possession and launched wave after wave of attack, but a combination of dogged Betis defending, stellar goalkeeping from Adrián, and poor finishing meant the Catalans couldn’t find a winner.
“We had a lot of chances and should have won,” Gavi said post-match. “The draw leaves a bitter taste, because we were unable to take advantage of the chances we had.”
Despite the result, the draw extended Barça’s LaLiga lead as Betis climbed to fifth in the table.
⚡ Real Madrid Stunned at the Bernabéu: Real Madrid 1-2 Valencia
Earlier in the day, Real Madrid were dealt a crushing blow, conceding a last-gasp winner as Valencia stole all three points in stoppage time.
Vinicius Jr. had a mixed outing—missing a penalty in the first half before equalising in the 50th minute to score his 104th goal for Real, drawing level with Ronaldo Nazário’s tally for the club.
But Valencia had the last word as Hugo Duro finished a slick counter-attack from a Rafa Mir cross to seal a stunning late victory.
Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti lamented his team’s lack of clinical edge:
“We created lots of chances but lacked a little effectiveness… This was not a deserved defeat.”
The result leaves Madrid trailing Barcelona in both LaLiga and morale, with tough fixtures ahead in Europe and the Copa del Rey final against Barça on April 26 in Seville.
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🔢 LaLiga Top 5 After Matchday:
- Barcelona – [67 points]
- Real Madrid – [63 – 4 behind Barça]
- Atletico Madrid – [57 points]
- Athletic Bilbao – [ 53 points]
- Real Betis – [48 points]
