Overview
- Barcelona beat Real Betis 5-2 on Saturday to record their ninth consecutive LaLiga win, matching Real Madrid’s 1968-69 start and moving top of the table with 27 points.
- The match featured a disallowed Betis goal and the straight red card for Facundo Bernal after an altercation with Lamine Yamal, prompting strong public criticism of the referee from Betis manager Manuel Pellegrini.
- Eric Garcia, Gerard Martin and Jules Kounde finished the game with knocks and are due to undergo medical assessments to determine their availability for the Champions League trip to Paris Saint-Germain.
- Separately, Vinicius Junior is serving a confirmed four-match LaLiga suspension split into two games for pulling an opponent's hair and two for protesting to the referee, and Real Madrid named a squad for Sevilla that includes the returning Eder Militao.
- Managers have reacted publicly, with Jose Mourinho defending Vinicius and questioning his treatment, Diego Simeone declining to discuss the ban, and the pending fixture list — PSG then El Clasico — magnifying the sporting and disciplinary stakes.