Ferran Torres scored a first-half hat-trick as Barcelona beat Real Betis this evening.
Torres, selected in the number nine role ahead of Robert Lewandowski, took his opportunity with both hands with a brilliant treble to put Barca in the driving seat after Antony had given Betis an early lead.
The Spain striker will take the headlines but credit must also go to Roony Bardghji, who was sensational, scoring one and playing a part in two more on a rare start.
Lamine Yamal was also on the scoresheet with a second-half penalty to help move Barca four points clear of Real Madrid, who host Celta Vigo tomorrow.
Diego Llorente and Cucho Hernandez scored late on but it wasn’t enough.
Antony stuns Barcelona with opener
There was little sign of what was to come when Antony fired Betis ahead inside seven minutes. Hernandez and Pablo Fornals both had efforts before the ball fell nicely for the Brazilian to swivel and shoot past Joan Garcia.
The lead lasted just five minutes before Barca hit back. Bardghji slipped in the overlapping Jules Kounde and his cross was turned in by Torres at the near post.
It was a slick move and the Catalans were at it again after 14 minutes with Bardghji, who was making just his third league start, again instrumental. It was the young Sweden international who supplied the cross this time and Torres again made no mistake with an acrobatic effort that flew past Alvaro Valles.
Bardghji got his name on the scoresheet shortly after the half-hour mark, running on to Pedri’s delightful through ball and finishing superbly with his right foot.
Betis appeared totally shellshocked and they conceded again four minutes before the break.
Pedri got another assist by playing the ball to Torres and his shot took a wicked deflection on its way in for the Spain international’s career-best 11th league goal of the season.
He could have had a 12th shortly after but was denied by Valles before Betis rallied slightly before the break. Hernandez almost converted Aitor Ruibal’s cross and Ruibal himself ended the half by firing in a shot that hit the sidenetting with Joan Garcia scrambling across his line.
Yamal grabs Barcelona’s fifth
Betis needed a quick response after the break if they were to find a route back into the game but Antony wasted their best opportunity, shooting weakly at Joan Garcia after being sent through by Nelson Deossa.
The hosts’ challenge was ended after 55 minutes when Marcus Rashford’s shot struck former Barca defender Marc Bartra on the arm and the referee, having been sent to the pitchside monitor, awarded the penalty which Yamal converted coolly.
Torres nearly added his fourth, failing narrowly to convert Yamal’s low cross, before Betis had an effort ruled out with Pablo Garcia adjudged to have been offside after converting Hernandez’s cross.
Llorente prodded home from a corner and Hernandez converted a late penalty, awarded after a needless tackle by Kounde, as Barca held on.