Barcelona ended Saturday night with smiles, swagger, and a four point lead at the top of LaLiga. Real Madrid on the other hand ended Sunday night with red cards, injuries, frustration and a crowd that could barely believe what they had watched.
It was a weekend that shifted the temperature of the title race, and Ferran Torres’ hat trick was only half the story.
Barcelona Survive Chaos To Stay Top
Source: FC Barcelona on X
What started as a shaky evening in Sevilla turned into a Ferran Torres showcase. After Real Betis opened the scoring in the sixth minute through Antony, Barcelona replied instantly. Torres levelled the game from a Jules Kounde cross, then smashed home a brilliant volley that silenced the home fans and ignited Barca’s momentum.
Rooney Bardghji made it 3-1 after a slick pass from Pedri, before Torres completed his first half hat trick with a calm strike from the edge of the box.
At 4-1 before halftime, Barca looked untouchable.
Lamine Yamal added a penalty to make it 5-1 early in the second half, before Betis mounted a late fightback that briefly rattled the visitors. Diego Llorente and Cucho Hernandez struck late to tighten the scoreline, but Barcelona held on for a chaotic 5-3 win.
But the real drama was still to come in Madrid.
Real Madrid’s Nightmare At The Bernabeu
Source: Real Madrid on X
If Barcelona were all emotion and goals, Real Madrid were all confusion and collapse.
Returning home after six consecutive away matches and an NFL event that displaced them from their own stadium, Madrid needed a calm performance. Instead, they delivered one of their most disjointed displays of the season.
Celta Vigo, disciplined and hungry, frustrated the hosts from the start. Jude Bellingham had a header saved, Arda Guler fired wide, and Vinicius Junior found himself blocked at every turn. Celta goalkeeper Ionut Radu produced a man-of-the-match showing, turning away everything Madrid attempted.
Then the second half unravelled.
Swedberg Strikes And Madrid Unravel
Bryan Zaragoza’s cross found Williot Swedberg, who flicked the ball past Thibaut Courtois with a stunning back-heel finish. It was the type of goal that sucks the oxygen out of the stadium.
Moments later, Bellingham needed treatment as blood streamed down his face after a tussle with Borja Iglesias. Madrid were rattled, and Celta sensed it.
Then the red cards came.
Two Red Cards, An Injury And Boos From The Stands
Fran Garcia received two yellow cards in under a minute, leaving Madrid with ten men.
As they chased an equaliser, substitute Gonzalo Garcia headed wide and Mbappe lobbed a desperate attempt onto the roof of the net.
Then Alvaro Carreras was sent off for dissent in stoppage time, leaving Madrid with nine men on the pitch and nine problems off it.
To cap off the disaster, Swedberg rounded Courtois with ease to score his second and secure a famous 2-0 win for Celta Vigo.
Xabi Alonso also lost Eder Militao to injury, adding to a growing list of defensive headaches before their Champions League showdown with Manchester City.
Madrid have now won only one of their last five league matches, and fans are beginning to worry.
Elsewhere In LaLiga
While the giants dominated headlines, the rest of Spain saw a tight, gritty set of results:
• Athletic Club beat Atletico Madrid 1-0
• Alaves shocked Real Sociedad with a penalty just before halftime
• Villarreal defeated Getafe 2-0 with goals from Tajon Buchanan and Georges Mikautadze
• Espanyol continued their rise with a 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano
A Title Race With New Energy
Barcelona’s win and Madrid’s collapse have completely changed the tone of LaLiga. Barca look alive again. Madrid look shaken.
With Ferran Torres in his best form and Lamine Yamal growing into a star, Barca head into the festive period with momentum on their side.
As one fan joked on X, “LaLiga is back to being a telenovela, but right now Barcelona are the main characters.”
Source: Various
Featured Image Source: FC Barcelona on X
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