Barcelona 3-4 Real Betis: Leaders stunned by expert display

Barcelona's previous home league defeat came on 10 September 2016

Barcelona lost a home league match for the first time in two years as the Spanish champions were beaten by Real Betis's expert display at the Nou Camp.

Junior Firpo gave Betis a deserved lead after 20 minutes, before veteran Joaquin made it two before the break.

Lionel Messi scored a penalty in reply but a Marc-Andre ter Stegen error saw Giovani lo Celso add a third for Betis.

Arturo Vidal's tap-in gave Barca hope, but Sergio Canales got the away side's fourth, before a Messi consolation.

Ernesto Valverde's side remain at the top of La Liga, one point ahead of Sevilla, Atletico Madrid and Alaves.

The hosts had Ivan Rakitic sent off for a second yellow card with eight minutes left when trailing 3-2 and were powerless to match a determined and clinical Betis side, despite Messi's two goals on his return from a fractured arm suffered three weeks ago.

Barca's previous home league defeat came on 10 September 2016, when they lost 2-1 to Alaves.

Betis had lost on their past eight visits to the Nou Camp and had not won there for more than 20 years.

But they came away with three points that lifts them up to 12th in the table courtesy of an impressive display built on adventurous counter-attacking and smart play in possession.

Quique Setien's side went into this game having scored only eight goals in 11 matches, the lowest return in La Liga.

Here they mustered eight shots on goal to Barca's five and scored from half of those.

Ter Stegen did let a Lo Celso strike slip through his gloves immediately after Messi had scored Barca's first from the penalty spot, which slowed the home side's momentum.

But nothing should be taken away from Betis, who more than deserved this victory which keeps Barca's rivals for the title within touching distance.

• Line-ups
• Match Stats
• Live Text

Line-ups

Barcelona

Formation 4-3-3

1ter Stegen

20Roberto3Piqué15Lenglet18Alba

4Rakitic5Busquets8Arthur

10Messi9Suárez14Malcom

• 1ter Stegen
• 20Roberto
• 3Piqué
• 15Lenglet
• 18Alba
• 4RakiticBooked at 81mins
• 5BusquetsBooked at 59minsSubstituted forAleñáat 69'minutes
• 8ArthurSubstituted forVidalat 45'minutesBooked at 73mins
• 10Messi
• 9Suárez
• 14MalcomSubstituted forEl Haddadiat 57'minutes

Substitutes

• 2Nélson Semedo
• 6D Suárez
• 13Cillessen
• 19El Haddadi
• 22Vidal
• 23Umtiti
• 26Aleñá

Real Betis

Formation 3-4-1-2

13López

23Mandi5Bartra12da Silva Júnior

11Tello18Guardado14William Carvalho20Firpo

21Lo Celso

16Morón17Sánchez Rodríguez

• 13López
• 23MandiBooked at 69mins
• 5Bartra
• 12da Silva Júnior
• 11TelloBooked at 67mins
• 18GuardadoBooked at 24mins
• 14William Carvalho
• 20Firpo
• 21Lo CelsoSubstituted forInuiat 87'minutes
• 16MorónSubstituted forLeónat 76'minutes
• 17Sánchez RodríguezSubstituted forCanalesat 62'minutes

Substitutes

• 1Robles
• 4Feddal
• 6Canales
• 7León
• 8Inui
• 9Sanabria
• 19Barragán

Referee:

Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz

Attendance:

81,617

Match Stats

Home TeamBarcelonaAway TeamReal Betis

Possession

Home54%

Away46%

Shots

Home20

Away15

Shots on Target

Home5

Away8

Corners

Home10

Away5

Fouls

Home13

Away11

Live Text

1. Post update

   Match ends, Barcelona 3, Real Betis 4.

2. 90'+5'

   Full Time

   Second Half ends, Barcelona 3, Real Betis 4.

3. 90'+4'

   Post update

   Delay over. They are ready to continue.

4. 90'+4'

   Post update

   VAR: Goal. Referee decision on field cancelled.

5. 90'+4'

   Post update

   Delay in match (Barcelona). Video Review.

6. 90'+2'

   Goal!

   Goal! Barcelona 3, Real Betis 4. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) left footed shot from very close range to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Arturo Vidal.

7. 90'+1'

   Post update

   Attempt missed. Gerard Piqué (Barcelona) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Munir El Haddadi with a cross following a corner.

8. 90'+1'

   Post update

   Corner, Barcelona. Conceded by Andrés Guardado.

9. 90'

   Post update

   Offside, Real Betis. Marc Bartra tries a through ball, but Sergio Canales is caught offside.

10. 89'

    Post update

    Attempt missed. Gerard Piqué (Barcelona) header from very close range is too high following a corner.

11. 88'

    Post update

    Corner, Barcelona. Conceded by Marc Bartra.

12. 87'

    Substitution

    Substitution, Real Betis. Takashi Inui replaces Giovani Lo Celso.

13. 86'

    Post update

    Corner, Barcelona. Conceded by Sidnei.

14. 84'

    Post update

    Foul by Clément Lenglet (Barcelona).

15. 84'

    Post update

    Sergio Canales (Real Betis) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

16. 83'

    Goal!

    Goal! Barcelona 2, Real Betis 4. Sergio Canales (Real Betis) right footed shot from very close range to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Júnior Firpo.

17. 83'

    Post update

    Attempt saved. Júnior Firpo (Real Betis) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Giovani Lo Celso.

18. 81'

    Dismissal

    Second yellow card to Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona) for a bad foul.

19. 81'

    Post update

    Foul by Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona).

20. 81'

    Post update

    Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

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