Raphinha Double Fires Barcelona Past Real Betis in Final Home Thriller

Barcelona, May 17, 2026 – In front of a buzzing Camp Nou crowd for the penultimate round of La Liga (Round 37), FC Barcelona delivered a commanding performance to defeat Real Betis 3-1, keeping their end-of-season momentum firmly on track. The home side controlled the tempo from the first whistle, dominating possession with a staggering 63% to Betis’ 37%, and never really looked troubled by the visitors from Seville.

Match Report

First Half: Raphinha Breaks the Deadlock

The deadlock was broken in the 28th minute. Brazilian winger Raphinha, in electric form, found space inside the box after a clever sequence of passes through the midfield. With a precise finish past Betis goalkeeper Rui Silva, he sent the home fans into delirium, making it 1-0 before the half-hour mark.

Barcelona continued to press, leaving Betis chasing shadows. By halftime, the Catalans had already registered 5 shots on target compared to just 2 from Betis, reflecting their complete control. The only blemish for Barça was a yellow card picked up during a physical first half that saw 14 total tackles and 8 free kicks awarded.

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Match Statistics

Second Half: Penalty Drama

The second half exploded into life. Barcelona doubled their lead on the 62nd minute, and it was that man again Raphinha. The winger completed his brace with a powerful strike from a tight angle, making the score 2-0 and seemingly putting the game to bed.

However, Real Betis refused to go quietly. In the 69th minute, a rare lapse in concentration from the Barça defense led to a penalty kick. Veteran playmaker Isco stepped up and calmly sent the goalkeeper the wrong way, pulling one back for Betis and injecting tension back into the contest at 2-1.

Yet, any hopes of a Betis comeback were extinguished just five minutes later. In the 74th minute, Portuguese full-back João Cancelo made a surging run into the box. After exchanging a sharp one-two, he slotted home Barça’s third goal to restore the two-goal cushion, effectively sealing the match at 3-1.

The final 15 minutes saw Barcelona manage the game intelligently. Coach Robert Lewandowski was given an early rest in the 85th minute, replaced by M. Casado, while Betis threw on C. Avila for the frustrated Antony.

Goals Scorer

What This Means

With this victory, Barcelona secures another three points in their La Liga campaign heading into the final matchday of the season. For Real Betis, the loss means they will have to look at the remaining fixtures to secure their European ambitions, despite a spirited second-half display highlighted by Isco’s penalty.

Man of the Match: Raphinha (2 Goals)

Source: oddspedia

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