BARCELONA, Spain — In a dramatic La Liga match on Saturday, coaching decisions and late-game action marked the encounter between Barcelona and Real Betis, which ended in a 2-2 draw.
Coaching from the sidelines became contentious as Barcelona’s coach, Hansi Flick, was ejected for vehemently protesting a penalty awarded to Real Betis. This penalty followed a contentious video review after Betis striker Vitor Roque went down in the penalty area, having come into contact with Frenkie de Jong.
Giovani Lo Celso stepped up to take the penalty, successfully converting it in the 66th minute and bringing the score level, following an earlier goal by Robert Lewandowski, who had put Barcelona ahead in the 38th minute.
The pace of the match shifted again when Ferran Torres, coming off the bench, found the net in the 82nd minute following a precise assist from Lamine Yamal, allowing Barcelona to regain the lead. However, the drama continued as Assane Diao found the equalizer for Real Betis during injury time, securing an important point for the home team.
This result means Barcelona has now dropped points in four of their last five matches. Currently, they sit five points ahead of Real Madrid, who still have two games in hand, keeping the title race tense.
