Barcelona win 4-1 against Real Betis despite Messi injury

Cesc Fabregas of FC Barcelona celebrates after scoring their third goal

Real Betis were humbled by the defending Spanish champions in the Benito Villamarin last night. The match was particularly highlighted by the 21st minute substitution of star forward Lionel Messi, with the club having confirmed that the player experienced some discomfort in his left thigh and would undergo further tests on Monday.

However, this did not deter coach Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino’s boys to step up and deliver an inspiring performance against the home team. The substitution and the subsequent arrival of Andres Iniesta, was a major factor, as the game changed drastically and the visitors started to dominate.

The first 20 minutes were dominated by Betis, as they pressed higher up the pitch and attacked in numbers, and won a lot of corners, but Alex Song’s and Marc Bartra’s defensive performances kept the home side at bay. Two outstanding saves by in-form keeper Victor Valdes denied the hosts an early lead and made sure Barca were on track to an another victory.

Neymar opened the scoring in the 36th minute after a Xavi-like through ball by Alex Song cracked open the opposition defence, found Cesc Fabregas who deftly passed it to Neymar who tapped it in for the first goal of the game. Only a few seconds later, Pedro doubled the lead, after he sprinted across the pitch’s half line, all the way to the box, and executed a brilliant finish to the far post.

The score at half time stood 2-0, and there were no changes made to the team at the beginning of the second half. Fabregas scored two perfect poacher goals in the 63rd and 79th minute, to bring up the lead to 4-0, and the match started seeming as good as over.

An unnecessary tackle inside the box by Dani Alves resulted in the hosts being awarded a penalty, right before the referee blew the whistle for full time. Jorge Molina stepped up to the spot and sent Victor Valdes the wrong way to award the hosts a consolation goal.

Cristian Tello and Sergi Roberto were brought in and got some much needed playing time, but could not make their presence felt. The performances of Marc Bartra, Victor Valdes and Alex Song were very inspiring, as they made crucial denials to the opposition. It was a usual day in the office for playmaker Xavi Hernandez as his passes were very effective in opening up the opposition’s defense.

The goals by all three forwards in a match where Messi was taken off, shows that Barcelona is still lethal in spite of the absence of their star man, and this should be a cause of worry for their forthcoming oppositions.