La Liga: Barcelona miss out on extending standings lead after draw with Real Betis

Barcelona missed the chance to extend their LaLiga lead. They drew 1-1 at home against Real Betis on Saturday. Gavi scored early for Barcelona, but Natan equalized for Betis.

The draw leaves Barcelona with 67 points. They are four points ahead of Real Madrid. Madrid lost 2-1 at home to Valencia earlier that day. Meanwhile, Betis moved up to fifth place with 48 points.

Barcelona started strong after Madrid's surprising loss. Gavi opened the scoring from close range in the eighth minute. Ferran Torres provided a brilliant assist.

However, Natan headed in an equalizer from a corner in the 17th minute. Despite dominating possession, Barcelona struggled to score again. Goalkeeper Adrián made several key saves to frustrate them.

Coach Hansi Flick commented on the match afterward. He said, "One game less, one point more." He acknowledged mistakes in the first half but noted they created chances.

Flick felt the second half was much better for his team. He added that they were not as ruthless as usual with their chances. Overall, he saw positives in their effort during the second half.