Gonzalo Garcia bagged a hat-trick for Real Madrid as they beat Real Betis 5-1 on Sunday to stay on La Liga leaders Barcelona's tail. Spanish striker Garcia, filling in for the injured Kylian Mbappe, opened the scoring after 20 minutes and then volleyed home a superb second early in the second half to give Madrid a commanding lead. Raul Asencio further extended Xabi Alonso's side's advantage before Cucho Hernandez pulled one back for Manuel Pellegrini's visitors, sixth.&nbsp;Madrid youth academy product Garcia completed his hat-trick after 82 minutes with a clever flicked finish to delight fans at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Fran Garcia notching a late fifth.&nbsp;Madrid, second, cut Barca's lead back down to four points after the champions edged Espanyol 2-0 in a Catalan derby on Saturday. Atletico Madrid, fourth, were held 1-1 at Real Sociedad later on.&nbsp;Madrid's victory eased the pressure on Alonso, who scraped through to 2026 at the helm despite reports he was on the verge of being sacked after a run of inconsistent form.\&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/return-of-the-mac-tyson-fury-ends-retirement-with-shock-return-to-the-ring-1767531974749">‘Return of the mac’: Tyson Fury ends retirement with shock return to the ring</a>&nbsp;With top goalscorer Mbappe sidelined with a knee sprain, Alonso turned to 21-year-old forward Garcia to replace him, as he did during the Club World Cup last summer.&nbsp;Garcia's opportunities have been limited this season despite acquitting himself well in the United States and he proved himself again.&nbsp;"These were three very special goals, my first hat-trick here at the Bernabeu, my first goals this season as well," he told reporters, before admitting he still faces a fight for minutes.&nbsp;"In front of me I obviously have the best players in the world, like Mbappe, Rodrygo (Goes), (Jude) Bellingham, Vinicius," he continued.&nbsp;"I just focus on myself, which means working day by day and taking the opportunities the coach gives me, like today, and I hope I can deliver and help my teammates every minute I get."<h2>Academy talents strike&nbsp;</h2>Madrid started strongly and took a deserved lead through Garcia's looping header from Rodrygo's free-kick. Betis battled back into the game and were the more dangerous team in the remainder of the first half, although they could not test Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.&nbsp;Madrid extended their lead early in the second half after an excellent finish from Garcia, who controlled Fede Valverde's long ball on his chest and volleyed home from the edge of the box.&nbsp;Asencio, who also came from Madrid's youth academy, nodded home Rodrygo's corner for Madrid's third before the hour mark in one of the more convincing performances under Alonso.&nbsp;With the points secured, Madrid relaxed and Betis created some danger, with Giovani Lo Celso and Rodrigo Riquelme hitting the woodwork and Hernandez rounding Courtois before drilling home.&nbsp;Garcia restored Madrid's three-goal advantage with a lovely flick from Arda Guler's cross, drawing applause from the watching Mbappe.&nbsp;Late on defender Fran Garcia, who played with Madrid at youth level before moving to Rayo Vallecano, fired home Valverde's cross to round off an emphatic victory.&nbsp;"It's a great stat, that the five goals were scored by academy players, it shows the great work being done there," said Alonso.&nbsp;"In Gonzalo's case, with his hat-trick, I'm very happy for him and the team, it was an important and deserved win."<h2>Atletico slip up</h2>Real Madrid next face rivals Atletico in the Spanish Super Cup semi-finals in Saudi Arabia on Thursday.Diego Simeone's side could only manage a draw at Real Sociedad, leaving them 11 points behind leaders Barcelona.&nbsp;Atletico pulled level with third-placed Villarreal on 38 points but have played two more matches than them and lost more ground in the Spanish title race.&nbsp;Alexander Sorloth headed Atletico ahead early in the second half but Goncalo Guedes levelled five minutes later to secure Real Sociedad's American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo a point in his first game at the helm.&nbsp;Simeone bemoaned big chances missed by Conor Gallagher and substitute Antoine Griezmann."If we were sharper in the area we might have been able to cover up the discomfort that remains after this draw," said Simeone.&nbsp;It was an encouraging start for Matarazzo, with Real Sociedad having the better of Atletico for large periods.&nbsp;"There's a lot to like about the performance today, all the boys were connected, all 90 minutes of the game," said the New Jersey native.&nbsp;&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for&nbsp;WION&nbsp;audience.

With top goalscorer Mbappe sidelined with a knee sprain, Alonso turned to 21-year-old forward Garcia to replace him, as he did during the Club World Cup last summer.

Gonzalo Garcia bagged a hat-trick for Real Madrid as they beat Real Betis 5-1 on Sunday to stay on La Liga leaders Barcelona's tail. Spanish striker Garcia, filling in for the injured Kylian Mbappe, opened the scoring after 20 minutes and then volleyed home a superb second early in the second half to give Madrid a commanding lead. Raul Asencio further extended Xabi Alonso's side's advantage before Cucho Hernandez pulled one back for Manuel Pellegrini's visitors, sixth. Madrid youth academy product Garcia completed his hat-trick after 82 minutes with a clever flicked finish to delight fans at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Fran Garcia notching a late fifth. Madrid, second, cut Barca's lead back down to four points after the champions edged Espanyol 2-0 in a Catalan derby on Saturday. Atletico Madrid, fourth, were held 1-1 at Real Sociedad later on. Madrid's victory eased the pressure on Alonso, who scraped through to 2026 at the helm despite reports he was on the verge of being sacked after a run of inconsistent form.\ Also Read - ‘Return of the mac’: Tyson Fury ends retirement with shock return to the ring With top goalscorer Mbappe sidelined with a knee sprain, Alonso turned to 21-year-old forward Garcia to replace him, as he did during the Club World Cup last summer. Garcia's opportunities have been limited this season despite acquitting himself well in the United States and he proved himself again. "These were three very special goals, my first hat-trick here at the Bernabeu, my first goals this season as well," he told reporters, before admitting he still faces a fight for minutes. "In front of me I obviously have the best players in the world, like Mbappe, Rodrygo (Goes), (Jude) Bellingham, Vinicius," he continued. "I just focus on myself, which means working day by day and taking the opportunities the coach gives me, like today, and I hope I can deliver and help my teammates every minute I get." Academy talents strike Madrid started strongly and took a deserved lead through Garcia's looping header from Rodrygo's free-kick. Betis battled back into the game and were the more dangerous team in the remainder of the first half, although they could not test Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. Madrid extended their lead early in the second half after an excellent finish from Garcia, who controlled Fede Valverde's long ball on his chest and volleyed home from the edge of the box. Asencio, who also came from Madrid's youth academy, nodded home Rodrygo's corner for Madrid's third before the hour mark in one of the more convincing performances under Alonso. With the points secured, Madrid relaxed and Betis created some danger, with Giovani Lo Celso and Rodrigo Riquelme hitting the woodwork and Hernandez rounding Courtois before drilling home. Garcia restored Madrid's three-goal advantage with a lovely flick from Arda Guler's cross, drawing applause from the watching Mbappe. Late on defender Fran Garcia, who played with Madrid at youth level before moving to Rayo Vallecano, fired home Valverde's cross to round off an emphatic victory. "It's a great stat, that the five goals were scored by academy players, it shows the great work being done there," said Alonso. "In Gonzalo's case, with his hat-trick, I'm very happy for him and the team, it was an important and deserved win." Atletico slip up Real Madrid next face rivals Atletico in the Spanish Super Cup semi-finals in Saudi Arabia on Thursday. Diego Simeone's side could only manage a draw at Real Sociedad, leaving them 11 points behind leaders Barcelona. Atletico pulled level with third-placed Villarreal on 38 points but have played two more matches than them and lost more ground in the Spanish title race. Alexander Sorloth headed Atletico ahead early in the second half but Goncalo Guedes levelled five minutes later to secure Real Sociedad's American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo a point in his first game at the helm. Simeone bemoaned big chances missed by Conor Gallagher and substitute Antoine Griezmann. "If we were sharper in the area we might have been able to cover up the discomfort that remains after this draw," said Simeone. It was an encouraging start for Matarazzo, with Real Sociedad having the better of Atletico for large periods. "There's a lot to like about the performance today, all the boys were connected, all 90 minutes of the game," said the New Jersey native. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

With top goalscorer Mbappe sidelined with a knee sprain, Alonso turned to 21-year-old forward Garcia to replace him, as he did during the Club World Cup last summer.

La Liga 2025-26: Garcia’s hat-trick seals 5-1 win for Mbappe-less Real Madrid against Betis

La Liga champions Real Madrid suffered a 2-1 defeat at Real Betis on Saturday, which coach Carlo Ancelotti said was a "big blow" to their title defence, while Atletico Madrid took advantage to move top of the table.<o:p></o:p>
Diego Simeone's side scraped a nervy 1-0 win against Athletic Bilbao, fourth, to lead Barcelona and Real Madrid by two points.<o:p></o:p>
For Betis, Isco scored the winner from the penalty spot against his former side Madrid, third, with Barca in action on Sunday against Real Sociedad and able to reclaim top spot with a win.<o:p></o:p>
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Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti picked a strong line up, with no breathing room in the title race, despite the impending Champions League clash against rivals Atletico.<o:p></o:p>
"If we play like this on Tuesday we will not win," said Ancelotti, whose side have one win in their last five Liga matches.<o:p></o:p>
The visitors took the lead at the Benito Villamarin stadium through Brahim Diaz but Betis struck back with a Johnny Cardoso header, as Real Madrid missed the suspended Jude Bellingham.<o:p></o:p>
Isco secured the Andalusian side a deserved victory with a penalty early in the second half.<o:p></o:p>
"It's a big blow. We have to react," continued Ancelotti. "We started well, but later we did not have the same level of commitment, the game got out of control against a side that played better than us and deserved to win."<o:p></o:p>
Isco returned to action in December after missing several months with a broken leg and has hit top form in recent weeks.<o:p></o:p>
"About halfway through the first half we stepped up our game, and I'm happy with the win against the best team around these days," said the playmaker, who won several major trophies with Real Madrid before departing in 2022.<o:p></o:p>
Madrid started the stronger and opened the scoring after just 10 minutes, putting together a fine team move with 19 passes.<o:p></o:p>
It culminated when Kylian Mbappe found Ferland Mendy, who squared for Diaz to tuck home.<o:p></o:p>
Betis soon found their footing and Cardoso powered a header past Thibaut Courtois from Isco's corner to level.<o:p></o:p>
Without Bellingham's dynamism in midfield Madrid were outfought by Betis.<o:p></o:p>
Manuel Pellegrini's side took the lead early in the second half from the penalty spot when Antonio Rudiger crashed into Jesus Rodriguez as he ran in on goal.<o:p></o:p>
Isco smashed home for his sixth goal across all competitions.<o:p></o:p>
For the final 15 minutes, Ancelotti replaced Mbappe, who had dental trouble ahead of the game, with Endrick.<o:p></o:p>
"He had that (tooth) problem, he hadn't trained a lot," explained Ancelotti. "He was not at his best level."<o:p></o:p>
<h2>'Goddess of fortune'<o:p></o:p></h2>
Atletico Madrid held their nerve at the Metropolitano stadium to take a provisional lead in the title race. <o:p></o:p>
After substitute Alvarez struck, the Basque side hit the woodwork three times in the hunt for an equaliser.<o:p></o:p>
"It's an incredibly important win, we knew it would not be easy," Alvarez told Movistar. "We're in the fight for the title, but we know there's a long way to go, a lot of very important games are coming close together, but with hard work and humility we'll achieve (our goals)."<o:p></o:p>
Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak made a fine save to deny Inaki Williams early on, in an even first half.<o:p></o:p>
The Rojiblancos have often relied on their substitutes making huge impacts this season and so it proved again as they opened the scoring.<o:p></o:p>
Simeone brought on Marcos Llorente and Alvarez just before the hour mark and the duo combined to open the scoring after 66 minutes.<o:p></o:p>
Llorente delivered a fine low pass for the former Manchester City striker to run on to, and he finished with minimal fuss for his eighth league goal of the campaign.<o:p></o:p>
Athletic came millimetres away from an equaliser when Benat Prados headed against the post with Oblak beaten and Williams crashed the rebound off the underside of the crossbar and out.<o:p></o:p>
"In the second half our changes helped us, Oblak too, and the goddess of fortune with the shots that hit the post and the bar," said Atletico coach Simeone.<o:p></o:p>
Ghana international Williams hit the woodwork once again with a deflected strike from range and Athletic left frustrated.<o:p></o:p>
"I think we deserved a lot more, we had more chances than them, but it's not about who deserves what, it's about putting them away," Williams told Movistar.<o:p></o:p>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Football: Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid scraped a nervy 1-0 win against Athletic Bilbao to lead Barcelona and Real Madrid by two points in La Liga.

La Liga champions Real Madrid suffered a 2-1 defeat at Real Betis on Saturday, which coach Carlo Ancelotti said was a "big blow" to their title defence, while Atletico Madrid took advantage to move top of the table. Diego Simeone's side scraped a nervy 1-0 win against Athletic Bilbao, fourth, to lead Barcelona and Real Madrid by two points. For Betis, Isco scored the winner from the penalty spot against his former side Madrid, third, with Barca in action on Sunday against Real Sociedad and able to reclaim top spot with a win. Also read | FA Cup: Crystal Palace's Mateta gets 25 stitches after 'reckless' kick to head Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti picked a strong line up, with no breathing room in the title race, despite the impending Champions League clash against rivals Atletico. "If we play like this on Tuesday we will not win," said Ancelotti, whose side have one win in their last five Liga matches. The visitors took the lead at the Benito Villamarin stadium through Brahim Diaz but Betis struck back with a Johnny Cardoso header, as Real Madrid missed the suspended Jude Bellingham. Isco secured the Andalusian side a deserved victory with a penalty early in the second half. "It's a big blow. We have to react," continued Ancelotti. "We started well, but later we did not have the same level of commitment, the game got out of control against a side that played better than us and deserved to win." Isco returned to action in December after missing several months with a broken leg and has hit top form in recent weeks. "About halfway through the first half we stepped up our game, and I'm happy with the win against the best team around these days," said the playmaker, who won several major trophies with Real Madrid before departing in 2022. Madrid started the stronger and opened the scoring after just 10 minutes, putting together a fine team move with 19 passes. It culminated when Kylian Mbappe found Ferland Mendy, who squared for Diaz to tuck home. Betis soon found their footing and Cardoso powered a header past Thibaut Courtois from Isco's corner to level. Without Bellingham's dynamism in midfield Madrid were outfought by Betis. Manuel Pellegrini's side took the lead early in the second half from the penalty spot when Antonio Rudiger crashed into Jesus Rodriguez as he ran in on goal. Isco smashed home for his sixth goal across all competitions. For the final 15 minutes, Ancelotti replaced Mbappe, who had dental trouble ahead of the game, with Endrick. "He had that (tooth) problem, he hadn't trained a lot," explained Ancelotti. "He was not at his best level." 'Goddess of fortune' Atletico Madrid held their nerve at the Metropolitano stadium to take a provisional lead in the title race. After substitute Alvarez struck, the Basque side hit the woodwork three times in the hunt for an equaliser. "It's an incredibly important win, we knew it would not be easy," Alvarez told Movistar. "We're in the fight for the title, but we know there's a long way to go, a lot of very important games are coming close together, but with hard work and humility we'll achieve (our goals)." Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak made a fine save to deny Inaki Williams early on, in an even first half. The Rojiblancos have often relied on their substitutes making huge impacts this season and so it proved again as they opened the scoring. Simeone brought on Marcos Llorente and Alvarez just before the hour mark and the duo combined to open the scoring after 66 minutes. Llorente delivered a fine low pass for the former Manchester City striker to run on to, and he finished with minimal fuss for his eighth league goal of the campaign. Athletic came millimetres away from an equaliser when Benat Prados headed against the post with Oblak beaten and Williams crashed the rebound off the underside of the crossbar and out. "In the second half our changes helped us, Oblak too, and the goddess of fortune with the shots that hit the post and the bar," said Atletico coach Simeone. Ghana international Williams hit the woodwork once again with a deflected strike from range and Athletic left frustrated. "I think we deserved a lot more, we had more chances than them, but it's not about who deserves what, it's about putting them away," Williams told Movistar. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Real Madrid’s shock loss at Betis sees Atletico go top of La Liga table

Real Madrid handed the initiative back to Atletico Madrid in La Liga on Saturday by drawing at home to Real Betis, a result that raises doubts about the team's condition ahead of Tuesday's Champions League semi-final against Chelsea.&nbsp;

Eden Hazard was thrown on for the last 15 minutes of the 0-0 draw at Valdebebas in what was only the Belgian's second appearance in three months but Madrid could not find a way through.&nbsp;

Atletico are now two points clear at the top of La Liga and can extend that advantage to five by winning away at Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.&nbsp;

Barcelona could pull level on points with Real Madrid if they overcome Villarreal.&nbsp;

Real Madrid struggled for chances and the concern will be that numerous injuries and fatigue are catching up with Zinedine Zidane's side at a crucial moment in the season.&nbsp;

"It's two points dropped, that's obvious, we lacked a lot going forward, especially at the start of the game," said Zidane.&nbsp;

"We weren't sharp but that can happen. We have to go again on Tuesday."

They play Chelsea at home on Tuesday in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals and it is possible none of Toni Kroos, Sergio Ramos, Ferland Mendy, Fede Valverde or Lucas Vazquez, all absent due to injury, will return.

Kroos and Mendy have the best chance, with Zidane saying afterwards they would be assessed on Sunday.

Hazard could feature against his former club after coming on for the final quarter of an hour but the fact Zidane waited so long to introduce him suggests he is still not considered match fit, having now played 30 minutes since the end of January.&nbsp;

"I think in 15 minutes he did well," said Zidane.&nbsp;

"He played with spark, with energy. The most important thing was nothing was bothering him. He can make a difference, absolutely, and we're going to need him."

After an impressive few weeks in which Real Madrid knocked Liverpool out of the Champions League and became favourites to overhaul Atletico in La Liga, Zidane's team have now been held to three draws in their last four matches, all of them without scoring a goal.&nbsp;

Neither side had much success in the first half but the game opened up in the second as the rain poured down and the ball began to skid across the turf.&nbsp;

Rodrygo struck the bar, his overhit cross almost flying in, before Betis had three chances in 10 minutes, the best of them falling to Borja Iglesias but he hesitated and Dani Carvajal intervened.&nbsp;

Madrid, though, came again as Luka Modric's bending effort was saved before Marcelo found space in the box but skewed his finish wide of the post.&nbsp;

Marcelo and Alvaro Odriozola had come on, with Zidane deploying wing-backs to find a winner, and then Hazard was introduced with 15 minutes left.&nbsp;

Hazard weaved inside and picked out Vinicius Junior but Vinicius slipped with the goal in sight. Madrid had to settle for a point.&nbsp;

Real Madrid handed the initiative back to Atletico Madrid in La Liga on Saturday by drawing at home to Real Betis, a result that raises doubts about the team's condition ahead of Tuesday's Champions League semi-final against Chelsea.

Real Madrid handed the initiative back to Atletico Madrid in La Liga on Saturday by drawing at home to Real Betis, a result that raises doubts about the team's condition ahead of Tuesday's Champions League semi-final against Chelsea. Eden Hazard was thrown on for the last 15 minutes of the 0-0 draw at Valdebebas in what was only the Belgian's second appearance in three months but Madrid could not find a way through. Atletico are now two points clear at the top of La Liga and can extend that advantage to five by winning away at Athletic Bilbao on Sunday. Barcelona could pull level on points with Real Madrid if they overcome Villarreal. Real Madrid struggled for chances and the concern will be that numerous injuries and fatigue are catching up with Zinedine Zidane's side at a crucial moment in the season. "It's two points dropped, that's obvious, we lacked a lot going forward, especially at the start of the game," said Zidane. "We weren't sharp but that can happen. We have to go again on Tuesday." They play Chelsea at home on Tuesday in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals and it is possible none of Toni Kroos, Sergio Ramos, Ferland Mendy, Fede Valverde or Lucas Vazquez, all absent due to injury, will return. Kroos and Mendy have the best chance, with Zidane saying afterwards they would be assessed on Sunday. Hazard could feature against his former club after coming on for the final quarter of an hour but the fact Zidane waited so long to introduce him suggests he is still not considered match fit, having now played 30 minutes since the end of January. "I think in 15 minutes he did well," said Zidane. "He played with spark, with energy. The most important thing was nothing was bothering him. He can make a difference, absolutely, and we're going to need him." After an impressive few weeks in which Real Madrid knocked Liverpool out of the Champions League and became favourites to overhaul Atletico in La Liga, Zidane's team have now been held to three draws in their last four matches, all of them without scoring a goal. Neither side had much success in the first half but the game opened up in the second as the rain poured down and the ball began to skid across the turf. Rodrygo struck the bar, his overhit cross almost flying in, before Betis had three chances in 10 minutes, the best of them falling to Borja Iglesias but he hesitated and Dani Carvajal intervened. Madrid, though, came again as Luka Modric's bending effort was saved before Marcelo found space in the box but skewed his finish wide of the post. Marcelo and Alvaro Odriozola had come on, with Zidane deploying wing-backs to find a winner, and then Hazard was introduced with 15 minutes left. Hazard weaved inside and picked out Vinicius Junior but Vinicius slipped with the goal in sight. Madrid had to settle for a point.

Below-par Real Madrid held by Betis with Chelsea test to come