However, the White team has a pending match against Valencia, which will take place in early January.
Robert Lewandowski scored for a rather poor FC Barcelona (39), but Argentinian Giovanni Lo Celso equalized from the penalty spot (68) after Frenkie de Jong received a yellow card for mowing down Vitor Roque, and the Barcelona coach , Hansi Flick, was expelled for his protests.
In the final minutes, Ferran Torres (82) scored thanks to a superb appearance from Yamal, but Assane Diao, with a spectacular backheel at the near post (90+4), ensured the final score of 2-2.
Lewandowski, who reached 16 goals in La Liga, found himself in the right place to finish off a well-orchestrated move, initiated by Yamal, with Pedri providing the crucial touch to Jules Koundé, who delivered the assist.
It was an excessive reward for a Blaugrana team far from its best physical and footballing version, lacking continuity in its game and dependent on a Betis team that demonstrated more desire and resources.
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From the first minute, when Blaugrana captain Raphinha cleared a Marc Bartra shot almost on the goal line, Betis pressed with intensity.
In the next action, another former Barcelona player, Abde, found himself in a duel against Iñaki Peña, who made a save reminiscent of Marc-André ter Stegen, currently injured for the whole season and replaced by Peña in goal .
Peña continued to solidify his performance in the second half with an impressive intervention after a return from Roque (53), a player on loan from Barcelona to Betis.
The home side found their reward in the 64th minute: a challenge from Frenkie de Jong on Roque resulted in a triple sanction: a penalty awarded after consulting the VAR, a yellow card for the Dutch midfielder, and a red card for Flick because of his protests.
After several minutes of commotion, Lo Celso scored and pointed towards the Betis crest.
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Betis surprise Barca with late equalizer in thrilling match
The celebration at Benito Villamarín continued with the return of Isco (76) after six months of absence, but was momentarily tarnished by Lamine Yamal, who simulated a “Messi-style” action where he dribbled half of the Betis team. However, the action was called off for offside against Ferran Torres.
Shortly after, Yamal managed to legally combine with Torres, who scored the definitive 2-1 after several minutes of review by the VAR.
Finally, Diao, with an aesthetically pleasing backheel, brought Betis a point, a gift for their coach, Chilean Manuel Pellegrini, who reached 500 matches in La Liga, becoming the first foreign coach to achieve this feat.
Getafe vs. Espanyol (2:00 p.m. All matches Costa Rica time)
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