January 04, (THEWILL) — Real Madrid delivered an emphatic 5-1 victory over Real Betis at Estadio Bernabeu on Sunday, narrowing the gap to Barcelona at the LaLiga summit to just four points.
The triumph featured a memorable hat-trick from Gonzalo Garcia, who marked his maiden league goals in a single afternoon whilst deputising for the absent Kylian Mbappe.
The breakthrough arrived in the 20th minute when Gonzalo Garcia directed Rodrygo’s free-kick into the bottom-right corner with a precise header.
Xabi Alonso’s visitors survived further scares before the break, with both Aurelien Tchouameni and Nelson Deossa spurning opportunities to extend the advantage for the hosts.
Madrid seized control after the interval when Gonzalo Garcia struck five minutes again into the second period, chesting down Federico Valverde’s pass before executing a superb volley past Alvaro Valles.
Raul Asencio appeared to settle matters six minutes later, converting Rodrygo’s corner with a firm header, though Cucho Hernandez responded immediately for Betis.
The contest was effectively ended eight minutes from time when Garcia completed his treble, flicking Arda Guler’s cross into the net with an inventive finish.
Fran Garcia added gloss to the scoreline in the 93rd minute, firing home first time from another Valverde delivery.
The comprehensive result maintains Madrid’s pursuit of their Catalan rivals whilst providing Gonzalo Garcia with a career-defining afternoon.
The forward’s three-goal performance showed Madrid’s attacking options remain potent even without their French forward.
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.
