LaLiga: Rodrygo keeps Real perfect with win over Betis

Robert Lewandowski scored again as Barcelona defeated Sevilla 3-0 in LaLiga on Saturday, while Real Madrid made it four wins from four with victory over Real Betis.

Barcelona rode their lucky early on at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan as Marc-Andre ter Stegen denied Ivan Rakitic and Youssef En-Nesyri before the visitors struck against the run of play.

Raphinha headed in the rebound after Lewandowski’s dinked effort was cleared off the line, but the Poland star didn’t need long to get on the scoresheet himself.

Lewandowski controlled a flighted pass from Jules Kounde on his chest and volleyed past Bono for his fifth league goal in four appearances.

Eric Garcia tapped in Barcelona’s third five minutes after halftime after Raphinha’s cross was nodded across goal by Kounde, who was sold by Sevilla for €50 million this summer.

Barcelona, who host Viktoria Plzen on Wednesday in the opening round of Champions League group games, are two points behind Madrid – 2-1 winners over Betis earlier in the day.

🇧🇷✌️ The duo of the day!#RealMadridRealBetis pic.twitter.com/sGUEev8bCi

— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) September 3, 2022

Vinicius Junior struck for the third game running as Madrid took an early lead at the Santiago Bernabeu, but Sergio Canales soon equalised with a goal against his former club.

Rodrygo secured maximum points for Carlo Ancelotti’s side just past the hour with his first goal of the campaign.

👏 1⃣3⃣3⃣ 👏
🎖 @MrAncelotti equals Del Bosque as the couch with the third highest number of victories in Real Madrid history.#RealFootball pic.twitter.com/hW0EJvaSrQ

— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) September 3, 2022

“He’s a special forward because he can play in any position. He’s very quick and very intelligent without the ball,” Ancelotti said of Rodrygo, now in his fourth season with Real.

💨🅰️🤩 How about that @fedeevalverde assist?!#RealMadridRealBetis pic.twitter.com/kwqrfmWNki

— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) September 3, 2022

“The apprenticeship is over and now he’s a Real Madrid player in every way.”

Next up for the European champions is a trip to Celtic in the Champions League.

“The team’s going through a good patch right now, the squad has a lot of confidence,” said Ancelotti.

“The most important game of the first part of the season is coming up on Tuesday. We’re going to be taking on a team that’s on a fantastic run and it’s going to be very difficult.”

RETURN TO BERNABEU

Playing at home for the first time this season as renovation work continues on their iconic ground, Madrid had a lucky early escape when Nabil Fekir appeared to be fouled in the area.

The incident went unpunished and was not reviewed, but Fekir injured him hamstring and had to be replaced by Luiz Henrique.

Madrid promptly inflicted a sucker punch as Vinicius raced onto David Alaba’s ball over the top, lobbing Betis goalkeeper Rui Silva for the opening goal.

Betis, who began the season with wins over Elche, Mallorca and Osasuna, hit back when Borja Iglesias laid off a throw-in for Canales to drive through the legs of Thibaut Courtois.

FT: @realmadriden 2-1 @RealBetis_en
⚽ @vinijr 9′, @rodrygogoes 65′ ; Canales 17’#RealMadridRealBetis | #Emirates pic.twitter.com/4rSveYLuPT

— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) September 3, 2022

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Vinicius should have immediately restored Madrid’s lead, blazing over a cross from Rodrygo. Silva then made a miraculous stop to claw out Aurelien Tchouameni’s header.

Karim Benzema skewed over and then failed to convert from point-blank range moments after halftime, the Frenchman ultimately denied by a crucial touch from Silva.

The Betis keeper again got his fingers to a powerful effort from Luka Modric, but Rodrygo had the final say when he slid home Fede Valverde’s pass on 65 minutes.