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We share some key thoughts and explore some of the main questions arising from the game Betis-Barcelona

Barcelona overcame a difficult away trip to the Estadio La Cartuja to remain top of La Liga. A first half hat-trick from Ferran Torres helped to guide the league leaders to victory, with additional goals from Lamine Yamal and Roony Bardghji. The win means Barcelona have now reached the 40 point mark, with 13 wins from 16 games.

The game provided plenty of talking points, with manager Hansi Flick opting to deploy Lamine Yamal centrally in the attacking midfield position. Following his hat-trick, Ferran Torres also spoke about his desire to «make it difficult» for Flick to leave him out of the starting 11, as he continues to compete with Robert Lewandowski.

On top of all of this, Real Madrid dropped points against Celta Vigo on Sunday, meaning Barcelona extended their lead at the top of the table. Here, we share some key thoughts and explore some of the main questions arising from the game.

Barcelona’s Resilience On Display Again

Real Betis opened the scoring after six minutes, with Antony giving the home side the lead. This allowed Barcelona to once again demonstrate a resilience that has been on show regularly this season, fighting back after going behind. By the end of the first half, Barcelona were 4-1 up and seemingly cruising to victory, following Ferran Torres’ treble and a goal from Roony Bardghji, who played well after being handed a rare place in the starting lineup.

A second half penalty from Lamine Yamal seemed to put the game beyond any doubt, but two late goals from Real Betis made the scoreline look a little bit more respectable for the home team.

The result means Barcelona have now gained 18 points in total this season from losing positions, according to statistics from Opta. This matches the total number of points gained from losing positions across the entire 2024/25 season and demonstrates Barcelona’s ability to maintain composure and battle their way back into games.

Of course, there are two ways to look at this statistic. While the resilience of the current Barcelona team should be applauded, there are some valid concerns to be raised about the squad’s defensive frailties. So far, Barcelona have conceded 20 goals in 16 La Liga games, which is the joint highest of any team in the top half of the table.

This needs to be further balanced against the team’s exceptional attacking performance. The 47 goals scored by Barcelona is by far the highest in La Liga this season and it makes sense that there would be a level of trade off between attack and defence. A number of the goals conceded so far have also been little more than consolation goals when Barcelona were already in comfortable winning positions.

Overall, the resilience of Hansi Flick’s squad should be admired, but it is important to acknowledge defensive vulnerabilities too. This could be especially significant in the Champions League, where performances have not been at the same level so far this season and where it may be more difficult to compensate for defensive lapses with goals.

Lamine Yamal in the ‘Number 10’ Role

Tactically, one of the most fascinating decisions made for the game against Real Betis was Hansi Flick’s choice to play Lamine Yamal in the central attacking midfield or ‘number 10’ role.

«We came up with the idea with the coaching staff, and then we asked him if he could envisage himself playing as a number 10,» Hansi Flick said. «He said yes, that he liked it, so we went ahead. I enjoyed everything I saw. The connection between Lamine and Roony was very good. From now on, we have more options to use in those positions.»

The positional switch is sure to spark discussion in the coming days and weeks about whether Lamine Yamal may switch to a more central role permanently. This will naturally draw even more comparisons between the teenage sensation and a former number 10 at Barcelona, Lionel Messi, who made a similar transition towards a central position.

On the one hand, Lamine Yamal has demonstrated an ability to play centrally and control a game from the centre of the pitch. Some experts have also suggested in the past that his long-term future lies in the number 10 position.

«If Yamal plays centrally instead, he will have much more influence on the game and become even more important,» said Marco Van Basten back in May. «I think that’s the next step. He can make goals, give crosses, put people in front of the goal. Such a good player has to play much more in the middle of the field.»

However, on the other hand, he has been performing exceptionally well as a winger who can come inside to influence the game or stay out wide and stretch play. While Lionel Messi naturally found himself drifting into more central positions, even when deployed on the right wing, Lamine Yamal is his own man and has succeeded with his own style.

Lamine Yamal was recently named as the La Liga Player of the Month for November and was the runner up for the Ballon d’Or. He was named as the Young Player of the Tournament for the European Championships in 2024 and if you know where to bet on soccer, backing him to win the Ballon d’Or in the next few years feels like a safe bet.

It is going to be interesting to see how Lamine Yamal’s career progresses in the coming seasons. Calls for him to move into a central position may not be without merit, but they should be balanced against what would be lost from both the Barcelona and Spain teams if he is not occupying a wide position and using his talents to stretch play.

It should also be noted that some of the most influential players in world football over recent seasons have been occupying wide positions, with examples including Mo Salah at Liverpool and Vinicius Jr. at Real Madrid, so Marco Van Basten’s assertion that central players have more influence on the game is not necessarily true anymore.

The Ferran Torres vs. Robert Lewandowski ‘Headache’

The star performer in the victory over Real Betis was Ferran Torres, who scored a sensational first half hat-trick to put Barcelona in control of the match. The Spanish striker was selected ahead of veteran Polish forward Robert Lewandowski and justified his manager’s decision with an excellent display leading the line.

In the process, Torres took his tally for the season to 11 goals in 15 games in La Liga and 13 goals in all competitions. It is the hottest streak of goalscoring form he has hit since joining the club in 2022.

Prior to the Betis game, Robert Lewandowski had been selected to start five consecutive games and it is likely the decision to start Torres was a combination of a tactical decision and a way to manage the Polish striker’s workload. Nevertheless, Ferran Torres is doing his best to stake a claim to start more matches in the coming weeks.

«He is a very intelligent player. He knows how to read spaces very well,» said Hansi Flick. «His mentality and confidence are excellent. He deserves to be in the starting eleven. He is always there when he’s needed.»

For his part, Torres has admitted to wanting to make it difficult for Hansi Flick to leave him out of the team.

«I knew I could be a starter at Barça, fight for a place, and I’m going for many more goals,» he said after his match-winning performance. «My job is to keep making it difficult for the coach.»

The decision over whether to start Lewandowski or Torres has been described as a «headache» by some sections of the media. In truth, it is a problem Hansi Flick will be delighted to have. With Lewandowski now 37 years old, the German manager will be thrilled to have the option to bring in a reliable replacement.

Question Marks Over Marcus Rashford’s Future

The topic of Marcus Rashford’s future is going to continue to come up in discussions throughout the season. The English forward, on loan from Manchester United, is essentially in the middle of a season-long audition for a permanent place in the Barcelona squad and it remains to be seen what the club will choose to do.

Recent media reports had suggested Barcelona may have already decided not to trigger their €30 million option to sign Rashford on a permanent deal at the end of the season. However, these reports were quickly dismissed by Fabrizio Romano, who believes the club will take their time before making any decision of that kind.

Logically, it makes sense for Barcelona to continue to monitor the situation in the months to come. Rashford has enjoyed some excellent moments in a Barcelona shirt already, with two goals against Newcastle United in the Champions League serving as the highlight so far. However, he has also had some frustrating performances too.

Against Real Betis, his display was on the more frustrating end of the spectrum and this was perhaps best summarised by a missed chance late in the game. After being put through one-on-one with Betis goalkeeper Álvaro Valles in the 87th minute, Rashford dragged his shot, badly missing the target.

Nevertheless, Romano claims the Barcelona higher-ups are happy with Rashford’s attitude and see his versatility as a big plus point. His ability to play as a winger or striker is clearly beneficial for squad depth, but he is also currently playing on reduced wages and any permanent deal is likely to require the club to pay him significantly more.

Barcelona Aiming for the League Title

The win over Real Betis means Barcelona will remain top of the table and signs are looking very promising for the season as a whole. If you head over to Stake.com and look at the outright betting for La Liga, Barcelona remain the favourites to retain the title and claim a 29th league win in total.

With more than 40% of the season gone, the table is starting to take shape and although there is a long way to go and Real Madrid remain close behind, Hansi Flick’s men have put themselves in a great position, especially as we move closer to the winter break and the midpoint of the Spanish league season.

The numbers look impressive: if Barcelona continue at the current pace, they will amass well over 100 league goals and more than 90 points. In the vast majority of seasons, that would be enough to win the title.

So far, the biggest disappointment has been the 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid back in October, which felt very damaging at the time. Immediately following that result, Real Madrid were five points clear at the top of the league. However, Barcelona have been the more consistent team in the weeks after that match and have re-established themselves at the summit. This does also mean the hardest game of the season, away at the Bernabéu, is out of the way already.

Real Madrid’s surprise defeat to Celta Vigo at the weekend has only heightened the sense of anticipation around Barcelona’s title challenge and there is a real sense that momentum is with the team now.

Things can change quickly and nobody at Barcelona will be getting ahead of themselves or taking anything for granted, especially with more than half the season remaining. Nevertheless, the club is in a good place domestically and the players and coaching staff have laid a foundation to build on if they want to have another successful season.

Final Thoughts

The weekend’s results went perfectly for Barcelona, with a hard-fought 5-3 victory away at Real Betis on Saturday followed by Real Madrid losing at home to Celta Vigo on Sunday. As a result, Barcelona are now four points clear at the top of La Liga and in much better recent form than their nearest challengers for the title.

Lamine Yamal demonstrated a new string to his bow, operating in a central attacking midfield position, which could provide new options moving forward. At the same time, Ferran Torres continues to make the most of his opportunities and is providing a good dilemma for Hansi Flick and the coaching staff when they write the team sheet each week.