Barcelona beat Real Betis 5-2 at La Cartuja and made it nine wins from nine in LaLiga. That equals the best start in the competition's history, set by Real Madrid in the 1960s, and it is eleven straight wins in all competitions this season. Betis, third and unbeaten at home before kick-off, lost in Seville for the first time this season.
Yamal
Lamine Yamal opened the scoring on ten minutes from Jules Koundé's pass, a left-footed shot from outside the box into the top left corner.
"When you see the first goal he scored, it's incredible; right now he is the best player in the world," Hansi Flick said. Yamal now has nine goals and nine assists in 11 appearances.
Two set pieces
Betis equalised from a corner on 27, Valentín Gómez heading in Pablo Fornals' delivery from close range. Barcelona answered the same way four minutes before the break. Fermín López swung in a corner and Rodri headed into the bottom right corner. It was his first goal for the club.
"Muy contento, feliz, primero por la victoria, porque para mí este es uno de los campos más difíciles de la liga," Rodri told DAZN. Very happy, first of all for the win, because for me this is one of the hardest grounds in the league.
Flick credited the coaching staff. "It is important to have that strength at set pieces. I'm happy to have scored the second goal before the break, it was important. We work on it and Heiko and Dela do a good job."
Betis also had a Giovani Lo Celso strike from distance ruled out for a handball by Cucho Hernández.
Three minutes, three moments
Gabriel Jesus made it 3-1 on 51 from Yamal's pass. Two minutes later Lo Celso sent Abde Ezzalzouli through on the break and he scored from outside the box to bring it back to 3-2.
Then Betis lost their heads. Facundo Bernal, booked a minute earlier, moved his head towards Yamal, who went down, and was shown a straight red card for violent conduct.
With ten men Betis could not hold on. On 62 minutes, from a set piece, Pau Cubarsí headed the ball across and Eric García, on at half-time for Gerard Martín, finished from close range. Cubarsí set up the fifth as well, for substitute Dani Olmo to shoot into the bottom right corner from outside the box on 81.
Raphinha back, De Jong waits
Raphinha came on for Yamal on 70 minutes, his first appearance since injuring his hamstring with Brazil. Frenkie de Jong was on the bench but did not get on.
"With this result, we had to change him, it was clear, and I told him that I was very proud because he had played a fantastic game," Flick said of Yamal.
The bill
There is a cost before Tuesday's Champions League game against Paris Saint-Germain. Gabriel Jesus went off injured on 79 minutes and was replaced by Gavi. Gerard Martín went off at half-time, Eric García felt pain above his knee late on but stayed on because Barça had used all their substitutes, and Koundé finished limping.
"We don't know what will happen with Eric, Kounde has small problems, Gerard too, we'll have to see," Flick said. "We have two more days and we'll see what happens on Tuesday. We have to wait for the medical results." On Eric García he added: "Pienso que solo fue un golpe." I think it was only a knock.
Pellegrini
Manuel Pellegrini was furious with the officials. "A feeling of helplessness. The scoreline does not reflect what the game was like," he said. "There were a series of incomprehensible and inexplicable decisions."
He disputed the disallowed goal and the third Barça goal. "The handball had absolutely no bearing on the goal. For their third goal, there was a foot at head height and the VAR didn't review it. To me, it was a lamentable refereeing performance."
The numbers and the table
Barcelona had 69 per cent of the ball and 18 shots, ten on target. They have 39 league goals, 20 more than any other side. On 27 points they are nine clear of Real Madrid, who play Sevilla tomorrow.
Flick was not interested in the record. "It's nice about the records, but we want to win titles and achieve bigger things, that's why we play football."
PSG on Tuesday, then the Clásico at Camp Nou next Sunday.
