Barcelona Draw Against Betis as Title Rivals Real Madrid Suffer Shock Loss

Madrid(The Uttam Hindu): FC Barcelona extended their lead at the top of La Liga to four points over Real Madrid, but missed the chance to deliver a near-definitive blow in the title race after a 1-1 draw at home against Real Betis. Gavi gave Barcelona an early lead in the seventh minute with a well-placed goal, assisted by Ferran Torres. However, Betis equalized in the 17th minute when Natan scored a powerful header from a corner. After the break, Barcelona dominated possession but struggled to find their usual sharpness in front of goal, having played their fourth match in just 10 days. Betis, meanwhile, defended resolutely, furthering their bid for a spot in next season's Champions League.

Earlier in the day, Real Madrid suffered a surprising 2-1 defeat at home to Valencia. Vinicius Jr missed an early penalty, saved by Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, following a questionable foul on Kylian Mbappe. Mouctar Diakhaby gave Valencia the lead with a penalty, and although Vinicius equalized for Madrid in the second half, Valencia struck late. Hugo Duro scored in the 94th minute after a counter-attack, and Mamardashvili made a crucial save in the dying seconds to deny Antonio Rudiger. Meanwhile, Celta came from behind to defeat Mallorca 2-1, with Fer Lopez scoring a stunning winner after Alfonso Gonzalez had equalized for the visitors. Alaves boosted their survival hopes with a 1-0 win over Girona, courtesy of Carlos Vicente's second-half goal. On Friday, Espanyol delivered a dominant 4-0 victory against Rayo Vallecano, edging closer to safety with their best performance of the season.