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Torres hat-trick helps Barca down Betis to extend Liga lead / Photo: © AFP
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Torres hat-trick helps Barca down Betis to extend Liga lead
Ferran Torres netted a first-half hat-trick to help Barcelona thrash Real Betis 5-3 and move four points clear at the top of La Liga on Saturday.
Lamine Yamal and Roony Bardghji scored the other goals as the champions racked up what was mostly a comfortable victory in Seville, until they conceded two late goals.
Real Madrid, second, host Celta Vigo on Sunday aiming to reel Hansi Flick's side back in, while fourth-place Atletico Madrid visit Athletic Bilbao later Saturday.
Flick opted to make some rotations, with a key Champions League clash against Eintracht Frankfurt on Tuesday in mind.
The German coach started Bardghji on the right wing and Torres up front in place of Robert Lewandowski, as well as moving teenage star Yamal into a central attacking midfield role.
Former Manchester United forward Antony opened the scoring for Betis, fifth, at their temporary La Cartuja home, blasting home after Jules Kounde played him onside.
The French defender made amends to help Barca get back level five minutes later, with Torres polishing off his cross at the end of a sharp team move.
Torres struck again in the 13th minute in similar fashion from Bardghji's cross to put Barca in front, and they never looked back.
Bardghji scored the third himself after good work by Pedri to bring the ball forward, the Swedish winger finishing with aplomb.
Torres completed his hat-trick before half-time with a stroke of luck, as his shot deflected home past Alvaro Valles.
It was his 11th league goal, making him the second top scorer in La Liga behind Madrid's Kylian Mbappe.
Yamal netted Barca's fifth from the penalty spot before the hour mark, after former Blaugrana defender Marc Bartra was harshly penalised for handball.
Marcus Rashford's shot was blocked by Bartra but the ball flew up and struck his hand.
Yamal should have scored when clean through but shot too close to Valles, and Rashford also fired wide one-on-one.
Betis nabbed two late goals, with Diego Llorente turning home at the back post from a corner that Barca defended badly.
Kounde clumsily felled another former Barca player in Ez Abde and Cucho Hernandez rolled home from the spot.
- Villarreal maintain charge -
Earlier Villarreal, third, kept the pressure on La Liga's top two with a 2-0 win over 10-man Getafe on Saturday.
Tajon Buchanan sent the hosts ahead shortly before half-time, with Getafe's Luis Milla dismissed soon after the break after an angry confrontation with the Canadian midfielder.
Buchanan kicked the ball at Milla, who appeared to be sent off for something he said back to the Villarreal player in response.
Georges Mikautadze netted the second after 64 minutes to bring Villarreal one point behind second place Real Madrid.
Marcelino Garcia Toral's Villarreal have won six consecutive league games and are unbeaten since early October.
"A good win in a tricky game," Villarreal defender Renato Veiga told Movistar. "We are going game by game and that's what we have to do."
L. Andersson--BTZ
