January 21, (THEWILL) – Barcelona forward Ferran Torres netted an impressive hat-trick as the Catalan giants survived a second-half scare to beat Real Betis 4-2 away from home in a thrilling La Liga encounter.
Torres gave Barcelona an early lead after 21 minutes when he tapped home from close range following good work down the left from Pedri. The Spanish winger then doubled Barca’s advantage right after half-time, pouncing on a rebound after Lamine Yamal’s shot struck the post.
However, Betis refused to give up and stormed back into the game thanks to two goals in three minutes from former Real Madrid midfielder Isco. His quick-fire double brought the scores level at 2-2 going into the final minutes.
Yet, Barcelona showed their class late on, with January signing Joao Felix combining cleverly with match-winner Torres before producing a delightful outside-of-the-boot finish to make it 3-2 in the 90th minute. Torres then wrapped up his hat trick deep into stoppage time, expertly lobbing Betis goalkeeper Inaki Pena to round off a captivating six-goal thriller.
The win sees Barcelona close the gap to eight points behind La Liga leaders Real Madrid, whilst Betis missed the chance to take a share of the spoils. Xavi Hernandez’s side showed grit and determination to battle back after surrendering their lead, with Torres instrumental in attack.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
