Real Madrid recorded a third consecutive LaLiga victory with a commanding 5-1 win over Real Betis, closing the gap on leaders Barcelona to four points thanks to a superb hat-trick from Gonzalo García. The defeat marked just Betis’ second loss in their last eight league matches (W3, D3).

At a venue where Manuel Pellegrini has never tasted victory as an opposition manager, his Betis side were immediately put under intense pressure. Madrid dominated the opening 10 minutes, with Federico Valverde and Vinícius Júnior causing constant problems down the flanks.

Betis struggled to escape their own half for much of the first period, and the hosts’ pressure paid dividends in the 20th minute. Rodrygo’s free-kick was met by García, who rose highest to power home the opener and register his first LaLiga goal for the club.

Los Blancos continued to push forward relentlessly, underlining their dominance when Betis were forced to wait until the 28th minute to win their first corner. Jude Bellingham and Aurélien Tchouaméni dictated the tempo in midfield, but Betis stayed compact and resilient, frustrating the home crowd enough to draw a smattering of boos at the interval.

The visitors carved out the first opening after the restart when Cucho Hernández briefly got the better of Antonio Rüdiger and Raúl Asencio, only to lose his footing at the crucial moment. That miss proved costly almost immediately.

Moments later, García controlled Valverde’s lofted pass on his chest before spinning and volleying home a stunning second to put Madrid firmly in control. The contest was effectively settled before the hour mark when Asencio, left completely unmarked, headed in from a corner to score his first goal of the season.

Betis finally showed signs of life thereafter, with Giovani Lo Celso striking the post from a free-kick and Marc Roca and Aitor Ruibal both testing Thibaut Courtois. Hernández eventually beat the Belgian goalkeeper to offer the visitors a glimmer of hope.

Courtois was then called into action again to deny Rodrigo Riquelme, who later saw an audacious effort crash against the post. Any lingering thoughts of a comeback were extinguished when García completed his hat-trick with an impudent backheel, before Fran García added a fifth deep into stoppage time.

The result extends Real Madrid’s unbeaten run at home against Betis to seven matches (W3, D4), while the visitors remain sixth and miss the opportunity to close the gap on Espanyol.