- Channels ahead of the Verdiblancos and De Jong tied next
- Fekir rounded off his excellent first half before the equalizer of Busquets
- In the second part, the Frenchman was ejected and Lenglet scored and saw the red
Barcelona took a vital victory against Real Betis (2-3) of Benito Villamarín this Sunday to follow three points from the Real Madrid leader on the 23rd day of LaLiga Santander, another day suffered for the quique Setién project in distress, rescued with goals from De Jong, Busquets and Lenglet.
The Barça team did not find Messi's goals for the sixth game but the '10' amended it as an assistant in all three goals. Barça thus brought forward a game that they carried twice below, in a feud that tightens. In 72 ', a header from the French defender left the final 2-3 despite the expulsions after Fekir and Lenglet himself.
After the elimination in Copa del Rey, in the discount in San Mamés, and the internal war for the words of Abidal, Barça saved the league pulse and avoided another week of crisis. Setién does not have a quiet day at Barça, as could also be expected for the discreet level that the team was dragging and the ability that involves a change of technician. His return to Villamarín, where they barely accepted his style, he wanted to turn it into a nightmare Fekir, at least in the first part, but Barca was remade as he could.
The Frenchman stole Semedo and left everyone to force a penalty by Lenglet, with the VAR notice to the referee (1-0). Messi and De Jong teamed up for the Dutchman to tie immediately, even though Betis did not give away in defense. The step in front of the former Ajax is how little Setién can celebrate, who took another twist on his idea with Vidal's false nine.
The Chilean however lost the ball that Fekir took until 2-1. The French wore in rabbits, footsteps, but also left his tacos on the ankle of Sergi Roberto and in the second part disappeared like the rest of Betis. Barça suffered without being able to leave their field but again saw the light with a goal from Busquets on the verge of rest in a foul that Messi put in the area.
The '10' focused on his facet as an assistant seeing Joel stop him two clear chances at the start of the second half, a very similar to the goal that made him cheer from Villamarín last year. Betis stopped Barça as he could, many fouls and little pace, without a clear dominator. Griezmann did not offer solutions and again Messi put the goal assist, at the head of Lenglet.
With 20 minutes ahead and Barça's ease of throwing matches could still happen, but this time the Setién knew how to play with the ball. When Betis had to propose already below on the scoreboard he ran out of Fekir, expelled for protesting a yellow, while Lenglet also saw the second. Messi left again without a goal but his club won.
DATA SHEET.
– RESULTS: REAL BETIS, 2 – FC BARCELONA, 3. (2-2, at rest).
– ALIGNMENTS.
REAL BETIS: Joel Robles; Emerson, Mandi, Bartra, Álex Moreno; Carvalho (Joaquín, min. 70), Guido (Tello, min. 86), Canales, Aleñá, Fekir and Borja Iglesias (Loren, min. 62).
FC BARCELONA: Ter Stegen; Semedo, Lenglet, Umtiti, Junior Firpo (Alba, min. 57); Busquets, Vidal (Arthur, min. 57), Sergi Roberto, De Jong; Messi and Griezmann (Rakitic, min. 89).
– GOALS:
1 – 0, min. 6, Channels (penalty).
1 – 1, min. 9, De Jong.
2 – 1, min. 26, Fekir.
2 – 2, min. 45 + 3, Busquets.
2 – 3, min. 72, Lenglet.
– ARBITRATOR: Sánchez Martínez (C. Murciano). He admonished Emerson (min. 36), Mandi (min. 45 + 2), Guido (min. 73) and Fekir (min. 76) from Betis. And to Lenglet (min.5), Sergi Roberto (min.29), Vidal (min.32) and Busquets (min.57) in Barça. He drove Fekir (min.76) and Lenglet (min.79) for a second yellow.
–ESTADIO: Benito Villamarín, 54,526 spectators.